THE   YOUNG   TRAIL  HUNTERS   SERIES 


THE 


YOUNG  SILVER  SEEKERS 

OB 

HAL  AND  NED  IN  THE  MARVELLOUS 
COUNTRY 

COMPLETING 

THE  YOUNG  TRAIL  HUNTERS'  SERIES 


BY 

SAMUEL  WOOD  WORTH  COZZENS 

AUTHOR  OP  "CROSSING  THE  QUICKSANDS"   "THE  MARVELLOUS  COUNTRY' 
u  THE  YOUNG  TRAIL  HUNTERS  "   ETC. 


BOSTON 
LEE  AND   SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

NEW  YORK    CHARLES  T.  DILLINGHAM 

1883 


THE  YOUNG  TRAIL  HUNTERS'  SERIES. 


3  Volumes.    Illustrated. 


1.  THE  YOUNG  TRAIL   HUNTERS. 

2.  CROSSING  THE  QUICKSANDS. 

3.  THE  YOUNG  SILVER  SEEKERS. 

LEE   AND   SHEPARD,   PUBLISHERS, 
BOSTON. 


Copyright, 

1882, 
BY  LEE  AND  SHEPAKD, 


All  rights  reserved. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEE  I. 

PAGE. 
Tired  of  Inaction.  —  Aspirations  to  be  Rich.  —  Hal  Hyde  and 

Ned  Brown.  —  A  Youthful  Lover.  —  The  Abandoned  Sil 
ver  Mines.  —  A  Magnificent  Scheme  of  Travel.  —  More 
Men  wanted.  —  A  Cargo  of  Cut-throats.  —  The  Cream  of 
the  Crowd.  —  A  Useless  Visit  .  13 


CHAPTER  II. 

Hal  takes  a  Sombre  View  of  the  Prospects.  —  Arrival  of  the 
Recruits.  —  Emile  Pont,  the  Voyageur.  —  Jacob  Yager, 
the  Indian  Fighter. — A  Friendly  Fight.  — A  Bear-faced 
Interruption  of  the  Pastime.  —  A  Singular  Reconcilia 
tion.  —  An  Ex-circus-rider.  —  Three  Balls  in  the  Same  . 
Hole 21 

CHAPTER  III. 

My  own  Invention.  —  The  Caravel. —Its  Three  Uses.  — A 
Travelling  Fortification.  —  A  Casemate  for  a  Dozen. — 
Preparations  for  Long  Sieges.  —  A  Skeptical  Listener.  — 
A  Disgusted  Lover. — The  Men  from  San  Diego.  —  On 
the  Trail  Again.  —  Zeke  Puncheon's  Cabin  ...  30 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Search  for  the  Absentee.  —  The  Signal  Whistle.  —  The 
Stray  Horse.  —  The  Ground  Disturbed. —A  Shot  in  the 
Distance. — A  Ludicrous  Sight.  —  Ned  Brown's  Shot. -r 

M106649        iu 


IV  CONTENTS. 

PiflB. 

The  Bending  Tree.  —  Pleasant  Salutations.  —  Hal's  Ex 
planation. —  Bear  Meat  f or  Zeke  Puncheon.  —  A  Kacket 
in  the  Trail.— An  Arrival.  .  .  .  .  .  .38 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Squad  from  San  Diego.  —  A  Lesson  for  Hal.  —  Formal 
Introductions.  —  The  Tall  Kentuckian.  —  The  Other  Ken- 
tuckian. — A  First-rate  Recommendation.  —  No  More 
Whiskey. —A  Quiet  Night.  —  Preparations  for  the  De 
parture.  —  Selecting  the  Horses.  —  Giant.  —  The  Horse- 
Tamer.  —  Mounted  and  Off 46 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Linn  Hoover's  Mishap.  —  The  Conqueror  of  Crossgrain. — 
The  Return  of  Ben  and  Giant. — Jacoh's  Treatment  of 
a  Vicious  Horse.  —  On  the  Verandah.  —  Something  about 
Eastern  Boys.  —  Kentucky  Boys.  —  Ben's  Opinion  of  the 
Caravel. — Buck  Sykes's  Yarn. — Novel  Treatment  of  a 
Grizzly 54 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Ready  for  a  Start.  —  The  Memory  of  the  Troublesome  Horses. 

—  The  Bugle  Call.  — Lieutenant  Sile  Carter.  — My  Little 
Speech.  —  The  Caravel  in  Motion.  —  Across  the  Desert.  — 
Fort  Yuma.  —  A  Broad  and  Rapid  River.  —  Preparations 
for  Crossing.  —  The  Advance  Party.  —  United  they  Swim.. 

—  An  Unexpected  Alarm 64 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Hal's  Return.  —  A  Very  Meagre  Report.  —Trouble  on  Two 
Sides.  —  Hal  and  his  Party.  —  Watching  the  Swimmers. 
—A  Double  Anxiety.  —On  the  Top  of  the  Knoll.  —  Cer 
tain  Sounds.  —  A  Convenient  Tree.  —  An  Approaching 
Foe.  —  Suggestions  of  Strategy.  —  Where  is  Hal's  Party  ? 

—  A  Successful  Plan.  —  Another  Enemy.  —  Two  Shots    .      72 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Rattlesnakes  in  General.  —  On  the  Trail.  —  The  Single 
Rider.  —  Hal  in  an  Indignant  Mood.  —  In  Command 


CONTENTS. 


of  a  Party.  —  A  Band  of  Disobedient  Followers.  —  The 
Mounted  Indian  in  the  Woods.  —  The  Disgruntled  Com 
mander.  —  Pedro  at  the  Horse-camp.  —  What  Became  of 
Greaser.  —  Several  Shots  .......  80 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Hunters.  —  The  Indians  in  an  Outer  Circle.  —  Ben  Cav 
endish's  Contempt  for  them.  —  How  it  was  Going  to  Be.  - 
The  Kentuckian's  Plan.  —Hal  still  Disgruntled.  —  The 
Quagmire  and  the  Flat.  —  A  New  Position.  —  A  Sight  of 
the  Enemy.  —  Hal's  Strictures.  —  A  Pointed  Rebuke.  — 
A  Noble  Horse  and  a  Dignified  Rider  ....  88 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Getting  up  a  Benefit.  —The  Request  to  Hal.  —  A  Dignified 
Reply.  __  The  Message  to  the  Hunters.  —  Who  is  Com- 
mander-in-  Chief  ?  —  Into  the  Woods.  —  Following  a 
Leader.  —  The  Indian  Trail.  —  Giant  at  Liberty.  —  Into 
the  Valley.  —  The  Kentuckian  Reconnoitres.  —  A  Des 
perate  Race.  —  Sharp  Discipline  .....  96 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Ben  Cavendish  Redeems  his  Promise.  —  Greaser  among  his 
Friends.  —  An  Alarming  Possibility.  —  Several  Shots.— 
Appearance  of  the  Enemy  on  the  Open  Ground.  —  An 
Indifferent  Kentuckian.  —  Safety  of  the  Horses.  —  Alarm 
of  the  Yumas.  —  Hal  in  Hot  Pursuit.  —  Ben's  Signal.  — 
A  Disgusted  Leader.  —  General  Buster  ....  104 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Waiting  by  the  River.  —  Dinner  on  Both  Sides  of  the  River.  — 
A  Decision  Required.  —  Hal  Wrestles  with  his  Pride.  — 
Explanations  Again.  —  Messages  for  the  Ranch.  —  Hal's 
Propositions.  —  All  Rejected.  —  A  Final  Answer.  —  A 
Volley  of  Arrows.  —  Plucky  Hal.  —  A  Good  Shot.  —  The 
First  Hit  of  the  Day  .....  .  .  112 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Hal  is  Himself  Again.  —  A  Lost  Bonanza.  —  The  Caravel 
Slips  into  the  Water.  —  A  Mysterious  Motor.  —  The  Ark 


VI  CONTENTS. 

FAOK. 

Afloat.  —  A  Useless  Piece  of  Machinery.  —  An  Angling 
Course.  —  What  Moved  Her?  — The  Struggling  Horse. 

—  Swimming  on  his  Own  Hook.  —  Nearing  the  Shore. 

—  Ned's    Management.  —  Three    Cheers. —  Out   of   the 
Woods 120 

CHAPTER  XV. 

High  Commendation  of  Ned. —Hal  makes  a  Remark.— 
Hitching  on.  —  Out  of  the  River.  —  A  Lonely  Walk.  — 
The  Smoke  in  the  Distance.  —  A  Meeting  Desired.  —  A 
Flight  of  Arrows.  —  A  Hostile  Demonstration.  —  A 
Friendly  Tree.  —  A  Rule  of  the  Camp.  —  A  Long  Wait. 

—  The  Best  Time  I  ever  Made.  —  The  Return.  —  An  Ex 
pedition-  Planned.  —  A  Start 128 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Ben  Cavendish's  View  of  the  Situation.  —  Speculations  as  to 
the  Tribes.  —  Not  Apaches.  —  A  Roaring,  Thundering 
'Noise. — Ben's  Figuring. — Forming  the  Line. — Our 
Instructions.  — The  Indian  on  the  White  Horse.  —  Ben's 
Shot.  —  The  Maddened  Herd.  —  The  Indians  in  the  Rear. 

—  A  Break.  —  Strangers.  —A  Sleepy  Watch     .        .        .137 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  Stage  Company's  Party.  — In  Motion  Again.  — The  Rio 
Gila.  —  The  Half-Civilized  Indians.  —  Their  Arts  and 
Improvements.  —  The  Silver  Mine  Region.  —  The  Wan 
dering  Apaches.  —  The  Two  Trails.  —  A  Rugged  Country. 

—  Don  Ramon  Ortiz.  —  Troubles  in  Mexico.  —  The  Want 
of  a  Letter.  — A  Dangerous  Region.  —  The  Sentinel's  Sig 
nal.  —  Approaching    Wagons.  —  Friends.  —  A   Strange 
Load 145 

CHAPTER  XVin. 

Amazirig  Folly.  —  Major  Galloupe.  —  An  Old  Artilleryman. 

-A   Good-Natured  Man. — Guns  and  Ammunition. — 

Into  the  River.  —  A  Shameful  Waste  of  Property.  —  An 

Offer.  —  The  Delighted  Owner.  —  A  Good  Trade.  —  Pre- 


CONTENTS.  Vl 

PAGE. 

paring  for  the  Journey. —  A  Night  Alarm. —  On  the 
March  Again.  —  A  Beautiful  Valley.  —  The  Enemy  in 
Sight 153 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Afraid  of  Indians. —The  Philosophy  of  Civilization.  —  The 
Indians  on  the  Bluff. — Like  a  Procession. — A  Long 
Column.  —  What  Does  it  Mean  ?  — Various  Surmises.— 
An  Odd  Show. — An  Estimate  of  Numbers. — Apaches 
beyond'  a  Douht.  —  Their  Strategy.  —  Their  Villainous 
Character. —Review  of  an  Old  Affair.  —  Doubling  on 
Us 161 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Some  Familiar  Objects.  —  Where  the  Indians  were.  —  Bring 
ing  it  to  a  Fine  Point.  —  Two-Streams  Camp.  —  Sile 
Carter's  Strategy.  —Two  Thousand  Indians  Explained.  — 
An  Unusual  Display  for  Apaches.  —  The  River.  —  Castle 
Hill.  —  The  Dividing  Canon.  —  Our  Proposed  Camp 
Ground.  —  A  Change  of  Course.  —  Lower  River  .  .  169 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

On  the  Banks  of  the  River.  —  The  Ford.  —  The  Hill  Beyond 
It.  —  A  Scouting  Party.  —  An  Alarm.  —  To  the  Rescue.  — 
Overlooking  the  Flat.  —  The  Firing  Renewed.  —  The  Field 
of  Action.  —  All  our  Own  Way. —A  Heavy  Report.  — 
More  Strategy.  —  The  Order  to  Move.  —  Without  a  Rider. 

—  Jerry  Missing  .        .        .        %  177 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Fears  in  Regard  to  Jerry  Benson.  —  Ben  Cavendish  Selects  a 
Searching  Party.  —  Dangerous  Duty  for  Boys.  —  Some 
thing  about  Leaders.  —  Our  Party.  —  Ominous  Shots.  — 
A  Sudden  Halt.  —A  Look  on  the  Flat.  —  A  Dead  Shot. 

—  Other  Sufferers. —What  I  Saw 185 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Sile's  Interest  in  the  Lady.  —  The  Down-Easter  Objects  to  my 
Theory.  —  To  Horse  Again.  —  A  Whistling  Bullet.  —The 


CONTENTS. 

PAQI. 
Projecting  Bluff.  —  The  Ford.  —  Dinner  Late  in  the  Day. 

—  Moving  the  Caravel.  —  A  Strong  Position.  —  Unloading 
the  Wagons.  —  Planting  the  Guns.  —  Repeating  Rifles.  — 
Return  of  the  Searching  Party.  —  The  Litter    .        .        .194 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

At  the  Ford.  —  The  Faces  of  Hal  and  Ned.  —  The  Horse  Lit 
ter.  —  Wounded  ?— Not  Wounded,  but  Dead. —A  Very 
Sad  Occasion.  —  How  it  Happened.  —  A  Deep  Buried 
Arrow.  —  The  Dead  Indian.  —  Melancholy  Reflections.  — 
Dinner  for  the  Searching  Party.  —  Recital  of  the  Events 
on  the  Flat.  —  Hal  Excited.  —  An  Improbable  Statement. 

—  Ready  for  an  Argument.  —  The  Letter  from  Juanita.  — 
Hal  Triumphant 201 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Hal's  Explanation.  —  The  Boy  is  Excused. —  He  Becomes 
Desperate. — Ben's  Views  of  the  Case.  —  The  Burial  of 
the  Dead.  —  A  Sad  Occasion.  —  The  Grave  on  the  Hill.  — 
The  Last  Rites.  —  How  we  Left  the  Grave.  —  Castle  Hill 
as  a  Fortress.  — Ben  Expresses  his  Opinion.  — Prepara 
tions  for  the  Bridge.  —  The  Expedition  to  the  Flat  .  .  209 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Composition  of  the  Two  Forces.  —  Down  the  Hill.  —  Where 
the  Enemy  Were.  — Scouts  Wanted.  — The  Kentuckian's 
Selection.  —  Private  Instructions.  —  The  Route  of  the 
Scouts. — Along  the  Trail  by  the  River.  —  The  Wagon 
Track.  —  A  Curious  Halt. — Ready  for  Action. — Ben's 
Shot. —A  Diabolical  Yell  .  .  .  ....  217 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

"Kinder  Keerless." — Mounting  in  a  Hurry. — The  Fallen 
Rider.  —  The  Onslaught  of  the  Savages.  —  A  Volley  of 
Arrows  and  Bullets.  — Noise  and  Victory.  —  The  Riderless 
Steed.  —  Enough  of  It.  — Apache  Horsemanship.  —  Ben's 
Strange  Movement.  —  The  Retreat.  —  The  Little  Grove.  — 
The  Kentuckian's  Tactics.  —  Effective  Shots.  —  A  Spirited 
Chase.  —  Another  Horse  without  a  Rider.  —  Into  the 
Morass ,225 


CONTENTS.  IX 

PAGE. 
CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Flight  Rather  than  Death.  — The  End  of  the  Hunt.  — Ben 
Reconnoitres  the  Trail.  —  Ben  Gives  more  Strange  Orders. 
-Taking  the  Back  Track.  —  The  Kentuckian's  Explana 
tion.  —  Some  Remarks  about  Boys.  —  Looking  out  for 
the  Scouts.  —  Indian-craft  and  Wood-craft.  —  The  Mov 
ing  of  the  Bushes.  —  Calling  out  the  Apaches. —Ben 
Suddenly  Ends  the  Explanation  for  the  Time.  —  Furious 
Speed.  —  The  Hat  in  the  Air.  —  A  Jubilant  Salutation.  — 
What  we  Found  in  the  Grove 233 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Juanita.— Ben  Indulges  in  an  Explanation.  —  I  do  the 
Same.  —  Consideration  for  Hal.  —A  Meed  of  Just  Praise. 
A  Talk  with  the  Maiden. —Ned's  Yarn  Deferred  to  a 
more  Convenient  Season.  —  The  Return  to  the  Camp  as 
an  Escort.  —  Sile  Carter  on  Hand.  —  An  Apartment  for 
the  Lady. —Something  about  the  Bridge.  — The  Depar 
ture  on  the  Night  Expedition.  —  On  the  Flat  .  .  241 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

The  Masterless  Horses.  —  Stolen  Property.  —Down  the  Trail. 
—  The  Fire  by  the  River. —A  Cautious  Approach.— 
The  Sentinel.  —  Light  on  the  Subject.  —  Don  Ramon 
Absent.  —  The  Turn-out  of  the  Travellers.  — Peterson.  — 
An  Old  Acquaintance.  —  Where  Don  Ramon  had  Gone.— 
The  Apache  Village. —  Hal  Tells  the  News.— Cheers 
in  Spanish 349 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A  Great  Disappointment.  —  The  Indian  Guide.  —  Ben 
Cavendish's  Opinion. —A  Coincidence  in  Time. —  The 
Mexican  Gentleman  in  Great  Peril. —We  Decide  what 
to  Do.  —  The  Trial.  —  Across  the  Flat.  —The  Cafion.  — 
A  Gloomy  Chasm.  — A  Dangerous  and  Difficult  Ascent . — 
Wounded  and  Worn-out.  —A  Needed.  Rest  and  Sleep.  — 
A  Long  Tramp. —The  Apache  Village. —The  Indians 
and  their  Prisoner 258 


X  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 
CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Snaking  it.  —  Approach  of  the  Prisoner  and  his  Conductors. 

—  Ben  makes  Intelligible  Signs.  —  The  First  Shot.  —One 
Apache  Less. —A   Bad  Shot. —What    Hal    did.— Don 
Ramon. —Dazed  by  his  Sufferings.  —  The  Agony  of  the 
Fond    Father.— Hal   Delivers  his  News. —'An  Incred 
ulous  Parent.  —  The  Indian  Guide. — Dinner. — On  the 
March  Again. —  An  Exhausted  Company  .        .        .        .    266 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

A  Bivouac  on  the  Mountain.  — Another  Long  Tramp.  —  The 
Entrance  to  the  Cafion. — Another  Route.  —  At  the 
Ford.  —  Juanita.  —  Sile  Carter  Hard  at  Work. —A  Mis 
sion  down  the  Trail. —A  Complacent  Down-Easter.— 
The  Stray  Horses.  —  A  Lazy  Afternoon.  — Don  Ramon's 
Followers. — Ned  Brown's  Narrative. — Don  Ramon's 
Explanations.  —  The  Kentuckian's  Views. — Building 
the  Bridge.—  A  Flying  Leap 274 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Sile  Carter  Excited.  —The  Machinery  for  Building  the  Bridge. 

—  Ned  and  Hal  Cross  the  Cafion.  —  Raising  the  First 
Stringer.  —  The  Log  in  Position.  —  Juanita  Encourages 
the  Engineer  of  the  Bridge. — The  Bridge  Finished. — 
The  Procession  over  it.  —  Arrangements  on  Castle  Hill. 

—  The    Battery.  —  The  Sentinels.  —  The  Excavation.  — 
Indians  in  Great  Numbers.  —  The  Approaching  Train. 

—  The  Ambush 283 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

Signals  among  the  Apaches.  —  The  Advance  Guard  of  the 
Train.  —  My  Message  to  Them.  —  They  Retire.  — A  Con 
sultation.  —  Encamped  for  the  Night.  —  Sleeping  on  it.  — 
In  the  Morning.  — The  Attacking  Party  from  the  Train. 

—  An  Ambush  against  an  Ambush.  —  The  First  Shot.  — 
The    Enemy    Bewildered. —A  Panic. —Attack    of    the 
Train-men.  —  Ben  Dislodges  the  Indians.  —  Routed  and 
Retreating.  — Departure  of  the  Train.        .  ,291 


CONTENTS.  xi 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

An  Indian  at  the  Ford.  —  What  it  Meant.  —  Looking  over 
the  Battery.  —  An  Extreme  Supposition.  —  The  Ken- 
tuckian  Considers  the  Situation.  —  The  Search  for  Silver. 
—  At  the  Excavation.  —An  Unpoetical  Task.  —Ned  and 
Hal  with  Specimens.  —  In  the  Cafion.  —  Something  about 
it. —A  Dismal  Place.  — The  Shelf  in  the  Rock.  — Don 
Ramon  Excited. —As  a  Secret. —The  Trumpet  Blast 
from  the  Battery 30° 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

At  the  Battery.  —No  Indians  in  Sight.  — Ben's  Eeport  of 
his  Scouting.  —  Conjectures  in  Regard  to  the  Force  of 
the  Enemy. — The  Kentuckian's  Admission. — A  Party 
of  Skirmishers.  —  The  Fire  from  the  Breastwork.  —  The 
Mounted  Indians  from  the  Flat.  —The  Helmed  Chief.  — 
Unhorsed.  —  Great  Slaughter.  —  Fearful  Yells.  —  Ad 
vance  of  the  Main  Body.  —  The  Force  of  Numbers. — 
The  First  Fire  of  the  Twelve-pounder  ....  308 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

The  Effect  of  the  Shot  from  the  Twelve-Pounder.  —  A  Pros 
trate  Band. — What  the  Indians  may  have  Supposed. — 
Ben's  Remarks  on  the  Subject.  —  Ben's  Order.  — A  Mur 
muring  Sound.  —  It  Becomes  a  Yell.  —  What  We  Ought 
to  have  Done.  —  The  Kentuckian  on  the  Military  Situa 
tion.  —  The  Apaches  Renew  the  Fire.  —  Hal  Wounded. 

—  The  Amateur  Surgeon. —  The  Boy's  Pluck.  —  Indian 
Tactics.— Hal's  One-hand  Shot 317 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

A  Shell  from  No.  2.  —  Its  Effect  upon  the  Indians.  —  A 
Thorough  -Rout.  —  Deepening  the  Impression.  —  A  March 
on  the  Bluff.  —A  Week  of  Tranquillity.  —  Exploring  the 
Silver  Mine.  — A  Rich  Treasure.  — Examining  the  Coun 
try.  —  Another  Silver  Mine.  —  Caught  in  a  Bad  Place.  — 
Ascending  the  Bluff.  —  An  Alarm.  —  Great  Guns  Again. 

—  Ben  Cavendish  to  the  Rescue.  —  A  Bold  Push  .    326 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 
CHAPTER  XL. 

Approaching  the  Camp.  —  The  Effect  of  the  Great  Guns.  — 
Ben  Opens  Fire.  —  The  Indians  in  the  Steep  Path.  — A 
Hideous  Yell  in  the  Rear.  —  Swarms  of  Apaches.  —  An 
Organized  Attack.  —  A  Bolt  for  the  Battery.  —  Ned 
Wounded.  —  A  Hit  in  the  Head.  —  The  Island  Battery 
at  Work.  —A  Standing  Order.  —  Another  Hasty  Retreat. 
—  The  Fair  Nurse.  —  Our  Mission  Accomplished. — A 
Start.  —  Another  Attack  and  a  Rout.  —  On  the  Southern 
Trail.  —  The  Last  Assault.  —  The  Cavalry  Squadron.  — 
In  Chihuahua.  —  The  Return  to  Buena  Vista.  —  Conclu 
sion  ,  334 


THE  YOUNG  SILVER  SEEKERS. 


CHAPTEK  ;  I, : 


TIRED  OF  INACTION. — ASPIRATIONS  TO  BE  RICH. — HAL  HYDE 
AND    NED    BROWN.  —  A   YOUTHFUL   LOVER.  —  THE    ABAN- 

DONP:D    SILVER    MINES.  —  A    MAGNIFICENT    SCHEME    OP 

TRAVEL.  —  MORE  MEN  WANTED.  —  A  CARGO  OF  CUT 
THROATS. —  THE  CREAM  OF  THE  CROWD. — A  USELESS 
VISIT. 


w 


HAT'S  the  use  of  rusting  out  here  taking  care 
of  horses  and  cattle,  and  occasionally  killing 
a  bear,  when  we  might  dig  up  a  few  tons  of  silver, 
and  make  a  fortune?"  demanded  Hal  Hyde,  as  we 
sat  in  front  of  our  comfortable  house  on  the  Buena 
Vista  ranch.  "  Don't  you  think  it  is  about  time  to 
pull  up  stakes,  judge,  and  go  on  that  tramp?" 

"It  may  be  time,  but  we  are  very  comfortable 
here,  in  our  present  quarters,  especially  as  the  news 
comes  that  the  Apaches  are  on  another  rampage,"  I 
replied,  quietly,  for  the  subject  had  been  brought  up 
about  every  day  since  we  came  in  from  "  Crossing 
the  Quicksands." 

"  We  might  get  as  rich  as  that  old  fellow  we  read 
about  in  the  classics,  and  settle  down  in  New  York, 

13 


14  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

or  some  other  eastern  village,  where  we  could  have 
all  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  modern  civilization," 
added  Hal. 

"Modern  civilization,  to  young  fellows  like  you, 
Hal,  means  beer,  cigars,  and  theatre-going  every 
night  :in  ^the^  wgek,"  iiot  excepting  Sundays,  to  say 
nothing  of  worse  dissipation." 

,  ,  "T  yotild  father  live  out  here  in  the  wilderness 
than  in  ft  eV  York,  though  I  don't  think  I  should 
greatly  object  to  a  few  tons  of  silver,"  said  Ned 
Brown. 

Ned  and  Hal  had  crossed  the  continent,  and  made 
a  long  journey  after  cattle,  with  me,  near  the  Pacific 
coast.  Each  had  his  peculiarities,  and  both  had  thus 
far  exhibited  a  strong  taste  for  the  wild  life  of  the 
plains,  and  for  roaming  among  the  rugged  mountains 
of  the  Cordilleras. 

We  had  agreed  upon  a  trip  into  Mexico  ;  but  when 
I  looked  over  the  map  of  the  country  I  had  talked 
about  travelling  through,  it  did  not  seem  quite  so 
practicable  as  it  had  without  the  map.  It  was  an 
immense  territory  to  traverse,  including  the  arid 
desert  as  well  as  a  region  of  partial  civilization. 

I  found  it  quite  impossible  to  make  the  extended 
trip  I  had  laid  out  in  Mexico,  and  I  concluded  that  it 
would  not  be  prudent  for  me  to  make  any  very  defi 
nite  plans  for  the  journey.  The  Indians  were  in  an 
uneasy  frame  of  mind,  and  were  making  no  little 
trouble  to  travellers  across  the  country. 

Besides,  I  learned,  some  years  ago,  that  a  man  is 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  15 

more  independent  when  he  has  no  fixed  destination. 
I  intended  to  go  into  Mexico  if  the  circumstances 
would  permit ;  but  it  would  have  made  a  quarrel  at 
Buena  Vista  if  I  had  suggested  that  we  might  not 
enter  the  domain  of  our  sister  Eepublic,  for  Hal  was 
impatient  to  visit  Chihuahua,  where  the  beautiful 
Juanita  lived. 

Though  Hal  was  still  only  a  boy,  he  was  fascinated 
with  the  fair  girl,  and  I  was  not  at  all  satisfied  with 
his  premature  devotion .  Ned  Brown  laughed  every 
time  Hal  alluded  to  the  Mexican  province  in  which 
Juanita  lived ;  and  he  alluded  to  it  not  less  than 
twenty  times  a  day  on  the  average. 

It  was  time  for  us  to  be  going  if  we  went  that  year. 
Though  I  had  been  through  the  wilds  of  Texas,  New 
Mexico,  and  Arizona,  visiting  nearly  every  part  of 
the  two  latter,  I  realized  that  my  own  love  of  ad 
venture  had  not  been  extinguished.  It  would  be 
mean  and  false  for  me  to  say  that  I  was  going  for  the 
sake  of  the  boys,  for  after  our  rest,  since  we  returned 
from  the  quicksands,  I  felt  an  almost  irresistible  de 
sire  to  resume  my  wanderings  in  the  wilds  of  the 
southern  range  of  territories. 

I  was  financially  in  better  condition  to  fit  out  a 
party  than  I  had  ever  been  before.  Business  had 
prospered  with  us,  and  I  thought  I  might  make  an 
investment  in  some  of  the  wild  regions  of  Arizona 
that  would  yield  a  handsome  return  in  the  future. 
What  the  boys  had  said  about  silver  was  not  wholly 
their  own  idea.  We  had  talked  a  great  deal  about 


16  THE  YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

the  richness  of  some  of  the  silver  mines  of  Mexico, 
and  about  some  that  had  been  abandoned,  according 
to  tradition,  and  the  location  of  them  lost  to  any  liv 
ing  persons. 

If  we  should  happen  to  stumble  upon  one  of  these 
mines,  or  discover  it  through  our  investigations  in  the 
region  that  was  known  to  contain  them,  it  would  be 
a  fortune  apiece  for  a  score  of  us.  I  was  as  willing 
to  make  a  million  in  working  a  silver  mine  as  in 
raising  cattle  and  horses. 

My  experience  in  the  wild  regions  where  tne  moun 
tains  kiss  the  skies,  and  the  canons  seem  to  lay  hold 
on  the  place  we  read  of,  but  do  not  call  by  its  full 
name  in  polite  society,  had  fully  informed  me  in 
regard  to  the  needs  of  travellers  in  the  mountains 
and  in  the  desert,  as  well  as  in  the  region  split  up 
and  cracked  into  honeycomb  by  volcanic  action,  I 
was  better  fitted  than  ever  before  to  attend  to  the 
duty  of  fitting  out  a  party. 

Without  telling  the  boys  what  I  was  thinking 
about,  I  sat  in  our  house,  or  on  the  piazza,  and  made 
out  a  list  of  what  I  thought  we  wanted  to  take  with 
us.  I  spent  several  days  in  making  out  this  list,  in 
studying  the  maps,  and  in  devising  plans  for  the  con 
duct  of  the  party.  The  disturbances  among  the  In 
dians  made  them  an  important  element  in  the  consid 
eration  of  the  subject.  We  must  be  strong  enough 
to  defend  ourselves,  and  I  had  not  much  confidence 
in  the  herdsmen,  vaqueros,  and  other  men  who  were 
available  for  the  service  in  which  we  needed  them. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  17 

Either  Sile  Carter  or  Jerry  Vance  was  worth 
twenty  of  them  in  a  brush  with  the  savages.  These 
two  veterans  were  to  be  of  the  party,  but  I  wanted 
eight  or  ten  more  just  like  them,  and  I  hoped  to  be 
able  to  obtain  several  of  their  kind.  At  any  rate,  I 
decided  that  I  would  not  start  upon  the  enterprise 
until  I  could  make  up  a  party  of  at  least  ten,  besides 
the  boys  and  myself,  with  "  greasers "  and  Indians 
enough  to  drive  the  teams  and  do  the  drudgery  of  the 
camp. 

When  I  had  arranged  my  plans,  I  called  in  Sile 
Carter,  Jerry  Vance  and  the  boys,  and  laid  it  before 
them.  It  was  really  quite  magnificent  in  its  details 
compared  with  any  of  my  former  trips.  The  veterans 
and  the  boys  opened  their  eyes  as  they  listened  to  my 
description  of  what  I  intended  to  do. 

"  We  shall  go  it  like  Xerxes  in  his  expeditions," 
said  Ned,  laughing.  "Eleven  men  and  two  boys, 
besides  a  regiment  of  hangers-on." 

"About  twenty-five  in  all;  don't  make  it  any 
bigger  than  it  is,"  I  added. 

"  Air  you  go'n  to  take  the  contrack  to  whip  out  the 
whole  Apache  tribe,  jedge?"  asked  Sile,  with  a  queer 
smile  on  his  bronzed  face. 

"  I  shall  not  quarrel  with  the  Apaches,  or  with  any 
other  tribe  of  Indians,  if  I  can  avoid  it,"  I  replied. 
t?  We  are  going  with  an  object  in  view,  and  that  ob 
ject  is  not  to  fight  the  Indians." 

"What  do  you  want  of  eight  more  men,  then?" 
queried  Jerry,  with  a  broad  grin  on  his  face. 


18  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"I'm  not  going  to  run  away  from  the  Apaches,  if 
they  come  across  our  track,  unless  it  is  convenient  to 
do  so.  There  is  a  certain  region  of  country  I  desire 
to  explore ;  and  I  am  going  to  explore  it,  whether 
the  Indians  tell  me  I  may  or  not,"  I  added.  "But  I 
am  going  to  keep  the  peace  with  them  if  I  can." 

"  I  cal'late  you  mean  the  piece  of  'em  called  the 
scalp,"  laughed  Sile  Carter. 

"  No,  I  don't ;  we  will  fight  if  we  must,  and  avoid 
fighting  if  we  can,"  I  replied.  "We  want  eight 
more  men,  at  least :  and  the  question  is,  where  shall 
we  find  them.  I  know  of  two  I  can  get,  I  think,  and 
the  other  six  must  be  found.  I  want  men  who  have 
brains  rather  than  manners,  who  can  split  a  ball  on  a 
jack-knife  as  far  as  he  can  see  the  knife ;  who  know 
the  woods  and  have  wrestled  with  bears  ;  in  a  word, 
men  like  Sile  and  Jerry." 

"  You  don't  expect  to  find  six  more  sech  chaps  as 
we  be,  clew  you,  jedge?"  inquired  Sile,  pleased  with 
the  implied  compliment  I  paid  him. 

"Not  just  such  fellows,  but  as  near  like  you  as  can 
be  had.  You  must  take  a  hand  in  looking  them  up." 

Horses  were  in  demand  the  next  morning,  and  we 
scoured  the  country  and  the  town  in  search  of  the 
men  we  wanted.  Ned  went  with  me  to  San  Diego. 
We  happened  to  be  at  the  port  when  a  vessel  from 
San  Francisco  put  in,  short  of  water.  It  had  a  mot 
ley  crowd  of  passengers  on  board,  consisting  of  hunt 
ers,  trappers,  voyageurs,  and  miners,  who  were 
bound  to  Acapulco. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  19 

I  found  that  several  of  them,  after  I  had  talked 
with  them,  were  the  very  men  I  wanted.  At  the 
time  of  which  I  write,  the  French  were  trying  to  keep 
Maximilian  on  the  throne  of  Mexico.  A  speculator 
had  lured  these  men  into  his  service  on  the  pretence 
that  they  were  to  be  officers  in  the  patriot  army  of 
Juarez. 

On  the  voyage  they  discovered  that  they  were  to 
become  plunderers  of  either  the  Church  or  the  Patriot 
party,  whichever  one  happened  to  have  possession  of 
the  treasures,  for  the  benefit  of  their  employer.  In 
fact,  they  were  to  be  organized  banditti. 

The  better  portion  of  them  revolted  at  the  thought 
of  such  work,  though  the  majority  were  willing  to 
engage  in  pillage  and  robbery  if  it  would  pay.  A 
couple  of  those  who  had  been  deceived  by  the  specu 
lator  insisted  on  being  put  ashore  at  some  port  in 
the  state  of  California ;  and  when  this  was  refused, 
they  started  the  plugs  from  the  water  casks,  and 
made  it  necessary  to  put  into  San  Diego. 

Don  Jose,  the  speculator,  had  done  his  best  to  pre 
vent  any  of  his  recruits  from  landing  at  the  town,  but 
half  a  dozen  of  them  had  fought  their  way  into  the 
boat  and  come  ashore.  I  found  them  on  the  beach, 
and  from  them  learned  the  particulars  I  have  given. 
In  five  minutes  more  I  had  engaged  the  whole  six 
to  report  for  duty  at  Buena  Vista  ranch  the  next 


morning. 

o 


I  was  told  that  I  could  get  a  dozen  more  out  of  the 
band  of  adventurers  on  board  of  the  brig.     As  I  had 


20  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

not  much  faith  that  Sile  and  Jerry  Avould  be  able  to 
get  any  such  men  us  we  wanted  in  their  search,  I  de 
cided  to  go  off  to  the  vessel,  and  see  what  I  could  do. 
I  hired  a  boat,  and  Ned  and  I  went  off  to  the  brig. 
As  we  came  near  her,  we  found  the  adventurers  on 
the  rail  and  in  the  rigging,  looking  to  see  what  they 
could  of  the  shore. 

"  I  don't  want  any  of  that  crowd,  Ned,"  said  I, 
when  we  had  pulled  around  the  brig,  and  taken  a 
survey  of  the  passengers.  "  All  the  cut-throats  of 
the  Pacific  shore  are  among  them." 

"  They  are  a  hard-looking  crowd,"  replied  Ned. 

Just  then,  half  a  dozen  shots  were  heard,  and  one 
or  two  balls  struck  our  boat.  Half  a  dozen  of  the 
villains  shouted  to  us  to  come  on  board  and  take  them 
ashore  :  they  would  shoot  us  if  we  did  not.  We 
pulled  for  the  shore  with  all  our  might,  and  soon  got 
out  of  range  of  their  weapons.  The  firing  seemed  to 
be  from  sheer  wantonness. 

"You  have  got  the  cream  of  the  whole  crowd, 
judge,"  said  Ned,  when  we  were  out  of  reach  of  their 
bullets. 

"It  will  be  rough  on  the  new  empire  of  Mexico 
when  those  villains  get  there.  I  don't  wonder  that 
the  men  I  engaged  wanted  to  get  out  of  their  com 
pany." 

We  reached  the  shore,  and  rode  back  to  Buena 
Vista.  I  was  satisfied  with  what  we  had  done  for 
one  day,  and  we  waited  for  the  return  of  Sile,  Jerry 
and  Hal. 


CHAPTER  H. 

HAL  TAKES  A  SOMBRE  VIEW  OF  THE  PROSPECTS.  —  ARRIVAL 
OP  THE  RECRUITS.  —  EMILE  PONT,  THE  VOYAGEUR.  — 
JACOB  YAGER,  THE  INDIAN  FIGHTER.  —  A  FRIENDLY 
FIGHT.  —  A  BEAR-FACED  INTERRUPTION  OF  THE  PAS 
TIME.  —  A  SINGULAR  RECONCILIATION.  —  AN  EX-CIRCUS- 
RIDER.  —  THREE  BALLS  IN  THE  SAME  HOLE. 


two  veterans  and  Hal  had  gone  off  in  differ- 
ent  directions  ;  and  the  youthful  lover  was  the 
first  to  return.  He  reported  that  he  had  visited  sev 
eral  settlers,  but  they  refused  to  leave  their  little 
estates  for  any  such  purpose  as  the  young  hunter 
indicated. 

"  You  won't  find  any  such  men  as  you  describe, 
judge,"  said  Hal,  disgusted  at  his  want  of  success. 
"  There  are  no  such  persons  in  this  part  of  the 
country." 

I  had  told  Ned  not  to  say  anything  about  the  old 
trappers  and  hunters  I  had  engaged,  for  I  expected 
just  such  reports  as  Hal  had  now  brought  in.  We 
expected  a  little  fun  the  next  morning  when  our  re 
cruits  presented  themselves. 

«  We  can't  go  without  the  men,  Hal,"  I  replied 
decidedly. 

21 


22  THE   YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  I  don't  see  what  we  want  a  whole  regiment  for," 

O 

growled  Hal.  "We  have  fought  the  Indians,  and 
given  a  good  account  of  ourselves,  and  we  can  do  it 
again.  For  my  part,  I  don't  believe  in  taking  a 
whole  army  with  us.  We  muster  five,  besides  the 
vaqueros  and  the  Indians  we  shall  have ;  and  I  think 
that  is  enough. 

"Do  you  think  so,  Hal?"  I  asked,  very  seriously. 

"  Yes,  I  do  !  I  think  it  is  all  nonsense  to  take  such 
a  crowd  along  with  us." 

"  Well,  Hal,  you  have  a  right  to  your  own 
opinion,"  I  added. 

"  Which  means  that  it  is  of  no  account,"  snapped 
the  young  hunter.  "  The  whole  of  it  is  we  shall  not 
go  at  all,  for  the  men  are  not  to  be  had." 

"  There  are  three  men  riding  in  beyond  the  garden," 
interposed  Ned,  who  saw  that  his  young  companion 
was  in  a  frame  of  mind  to  be  saucy,  as  he  sometimes 
was.  "  One  of  them  is  Sile  Carter,  and  the  others 
are  strangers." 

"  Probably  Sile  has  raised  two  recruits  for  our 
army,"  I  added. 

"What's  two  nien?  You  want  ten  of  them,"  snarled 
Hal,  whose  thoughts  were  down  in  Chihuahua,  and 
he  was  thinking  only  of  getting  there. 

"If  Jerry  brings  in  as  many  more,  it  will  make 
four,"  added  Ned.  "  We  may  make  up  the  number 
by  next  week,  or  the  week  after." 

"  I  shall  give  up  going  at  all !  "  exclaimed  Hal. 

"  All  right ;  you  needn't  go  if  you  don't  want  to, 


THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  23 

Hal.  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  you  stay  at  the  ranch, 
and  look  after  the  stock,  and  attend  to  the  orange- 
trees  and  the  bananas." 

At  this  moment  Sile  dashed  into  the  yard,  followed 
by  two  horsemen.  The  latter  rode  jaded  nags, 
thin  in  flesh,  though  they  evidently  had  considerable 
spirit  when  in  good  condition.  Both  of  them  ap 
peared  to  be  foreigners,  and  one  looked  like  an 
Irishman. 

"  Well,  jedge,  I  fetched  two  human  critters ;  and 
they  are  made  of  the  real  stuff,"  said  Sile,  as  he 
threw  himself  from  his  horse.  "  One's  a  Frenchman, 
and  t'other  is  a  Dutchman." 

Sile  seemed  to  be  delighted  with  the  success  that 
had  attended  his  mission,  and  he  looked  about  to  see 
if  there  were  any  other  strangers  about  the  ranch. 
It  occurred  to  me  at  once  that  neither  of  the  recruits 
he  had  brought  would  answer  the  purpose,  and  I 
wondered  what  the  down-easter  was  thinking  about 
when  he  picked  up  such  men. 

"This  man  is  Emile  Pont.  That's  the  way  he 
spelled  it  out  to  me,  but  that  ain't  the  way  he  speaks 
it,"  said  Sile,  proceeding  to  introduce  his  men. 

"  Emile  Pont,"  added  the  Frenchman,  pronouncing 
the  name  properly. 

"  He  is  a  v'yger,"  added  Sile,  looking  at  his  prize 
with  admiration. 

"A  voyageur,  monsieur!"  explained  Emile.  "I 
have  sairve  wit  de  'Udson  Bay  Compagnie  tree 
year." 


24  THE    YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

"  Just  so ;  a  voyageur,"  I  added,  changing  my 
opinion  entirely  in  regard  to  the  man,  for  there  are 
none  braver,  more  enduring,  more  skilful  in  wood 
craft,  or  more  cheerful  and  obedient  than  the  Cana 
dian  voyageur,  whose  life  has  been  spent  in  hunting, 
fishing  and  trapping. 

"  All  right,  jedge ;  he's  your  man,  every  time. 
T'other  is  a  Dutchman,"  continued  Sile,  pointing 
to  the  second  prize. 

"  I  am  no  more  a  Dutchman  as  he  is  a  Frenchman  !  " 
exclaimed  the  second  man.  "  He  don't  know  the 
difference  mit  a  German  as  a  Dutchman." 

The  man  doubled  up  and  laughed  as  though  it  was 
a  capital  joke  ;  and  he  enjoyed  it,  if  nobody  else  did. 

"Then  you  are  a  German,"  I  added,  in  order  to 
encourage  the  man. 

"What  is  your  tarnal  name?"  asked  Sile,  per 
plexed  as  he  tried  to  recall  it.  '  Tain't  no  sort  o' 
use  to  spell  out  these  fellers'  names,  for  arter  you've 
done  it,  ten  to  one,  they'll  call  it  sunthin  else.  It's  a 
tarnal  pigeon  talk  no  Christian  critter  can  understand  ; 
and  he's  got  to  have  his  tongue  split  afore  he  can 
speak  it." 

"My  name  is  Jacob  Yager  (Yahcob  Yegger),"  said 
the  German,  laughing  all  the  time,  and  he  seemed  to 
have  a  talent  for  laughing. 

"Do  you  hear  that?"  demanded  Sile.  "Can  any 
feller  say  that  without  tying  his  tongue  in  a  hard 
knot?" 

"  In  English  his  name  is  the  same  as  Jacob  Hunter," 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  25 

added  Hal,  who  had  studied  German.  "  I  think  we 
had  better  call  him  Jake  Hunter,  and  that  will  save 
Sile  Carter's  tongue  from  being  yanked  out  by  the 
roots." 

"Jahrwohl!  Sie  sprechen  Deutsch,  nicht  wahr?" 
demanded  Jacob,  rushing  up  to  Hal,  his  face  spark 
ling  with  delight. 

"  Nein;  nicht  viel.  Ich  habe  sie  vergessen,"  re 
plied  Hal,  and  this  proved  to  be  as  far  as  he  could 
go,  greatly  to  the  disappointment  of  the  recruit. 

"  But  he's  a  reg'lar  rip-snorter,  if  he  is  a  Dutchman 
—  ain't  you,  Jake?"  added  Sile. 

When  questioned  in  regard  to  his  antecedents,  and 
his  fitness  for  the  position  in  which  he  was  wanted, 
he  said  his  father  had  immigrated  to  this  country  and 
taken  a  farm  in  Minnesota,  that  all  the  family  but 
himself  had  been  massacred  by  the  Indians,  and  since 
this  terrible  event  he  had  devoted  himself  to  fighting 
the  savages.  He  had  been  a  trapper  and  hunter  in 
Oregon  for  seven  years. 

"  I  cal'late  you  don't  know  how  I  come  acrost  these 
two  fellers,  jedge,"  added  Sile.  "I  gi'n  up  findin' 
anybody  that  would  go  with  you,  and  started  for 
home." 

"Well,  how  happened  it,  Sile?" 

"  I  was  ridin'  along  sort  o'  slow  through  the  woods, 
when  all  to  once  I  come  suddenly  on  two  fellers 
fightin'  like  all  possessed.  Them  fellers  was  the 
Frenchman  and  the  Dutchman.  Their  horses  was 
hitched  to  a  tree,  and  they  was  poundin  one  another 


26  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

as  if  hammers  didn't  cost  nothin'.  I  held  up  and 
waited  to  see  how  they  was  comin'  out,  for  I  don't 
never  like  to  interfere  in  a  friendly  fight  when  things 
goes  on  fair." 

"  It  was  a  friendly  fight,  was  it  ?  " 

"  So  fur's  I  could  see,  it  was,  jedge ;  they  didn't 
have  no  knives  nor  no  shootin'  irons  o'  no  kind. 
They  was  doin'  it  with  the  bare  fists,  in  a  civilized 
and  Christian  way.  I  was  cur'ous  to  know  which 
was  comin'  out  on  top,  when  a  pesky  cinnament  bear 
rushed  in  and  begun  to  scratch  both  on  'em.  I  didn't 
have  no  patience  with  that  bear." 

"  Why  didn't  you  shoot  him?  " 

"I  didn't  git  no  chance,  jedge.  The  fight  was 
clean  sp'iled,  and  the  men  gi'n  it  up.  The  French 
man  run  for  his  rifle  ;  but  the  Dutchman  didn't  wait 
to  git  no  gun.  He  hit  the  bear  right  in  the  eye  with 
his  fist,  fust  one  eye,  and  then  t'other.  Then  he 
whipped  out  his  knife,  and  stuck  him,  so  that  the 
bear  won't  never  want  to  mix  in  with  no  Christian, 
civilized  fight  again." 

"  Did  the  men  fight  again  ?  " 

"  That's  the  queer  part  on't.  When  the  French 
man  saw  how  handsomely  the  Dutchman  did  the  bear, 
he  stuck  out  his  hand,  and  they  shook.  I  cal'late 
they  hugged  one  another  arter  that." 

"  I  like  the  Jairman  vairy  much  when  I  see  how 
beautifully,  delightfully,  lovely,  he  stick  that  bear," 
said  Emile  Pont,  as  he  smiled  sweetly  at  his  late 
opponent. 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  27 

"You  don't  fight  mit  me  no  more,"  laughed  the 
German,  as  they  shook  hands  again. 

"Then,  jedge,  you  ought  to  see  that  Dutchman  git 
on  his  hoss.  He  went  on  jest  as  ef  he  was  made  of 
Ingy  rubber.  Jake,  jest  let  the  jedge  see  you  git  on 
that  hoss  once  ?  " 

Jacob  complied,  and  no  circus  rider  could  have 
done  it  handsomer.  With  a  light  spring  he  placed 
himself  in  the  saddle.  Then,  throwing  his  feet  up 
into  the  air,  he  turned  a  back  somerset,  and  landed 
on  his  taps,  bolt  upright,  at  the  heels  of  the  horse. 

"  Do  you  see  that,  jedge  ?  "  exclaimed  the  delighted 
old  hunter. 

Stepping  back  a  few  paces,  he  made  a  short  run, 
and  then  vaulted  into  the  saddle  over  the  hip  bones 
of  the  beast.  Grasping  the  pommel  of  the  saddle 
with  both  hands,  he  swayed  his  body  backwards  and 
forwards  a  few  times,  and  turning  another  somerset, 
he  came  down  on  his  feet  under  the  horse's  nose. 
The  animal  seemed  to  be  accustomed  to  this  sort  of 
thing,  and  stood  as  quiet  as  a  lamb. 

Sile  Carter  doubled  himself  up,  and  laughed 
with  delight  at  the  performance  of  Jacob.  The 
German  had  done  what  none  of  the  rest  of  them 
could  do,  and  he  was  a  hero  in  the  down-easter's 
estimation. 

"  Where  did  you  learn  all  those  tricks,  Jacob?" 

"I  was  a  performer  mit  der  circus  in  Germany 
when  I  vas  a  poy  no  pigger  as  a  glass  of  beer," 
laughed  Jacob.  "  I  do  dose  dings  mit  der  Indians. 


28  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

I   jumps   over   dere   heads   when   they  dinks   dey 
caught  me." 

Sile  insisted  that  both  of  the  recruits  should  shoot. 
They  did  fairly  well,  but  the  veteran  could  shoot 
inside  of  them  every  time ;  and  he  enjoyed  their 
amazement  when  they  saw  him  put  three  bullets  into 
the  same  hole  at  three  hundred  feet. 

"All  on  us  is  good  for  sunthin,  Jake,  and  we  can't 
all  eat  with  the  same  mouth :  you  eat  with  your'n 
and  I  eats  with  mine,"  said  Sile,  sagely.  "  I  cal'late 
I  can  shoot  an  Injen,  Jake,  just  about  as  quick  as 
you  can  jump  over  his  head." 

"  Here  comes  Jerry,  and  he  comes  alone,"  said  Hal, 
when  the  show  was  over  for  the  present. 

"  Tain't  no  use,  jedge,"  said  Jerry,  as  he  rode  his 
jaded  nag  up  to  the  front  of  the  house.  "Folks  has 
lost  all  their  sperit,  and  none  on  'em  won't  go  off  to 
shoot  Injens.  I  believe  they'd  let  the  pesky  redskins 
chaw  'em  up  and  make  'em  into  sassages  afore  they'd 
tackle  the  varmints  like  men." 

"  You  didn't  find  any  one  to  join  our  party  ?  " 

"  Not  a  human  critter  !  They  all  want  to  set  in  their 
houses,  and  see  things  grow.  The  whole  country's 
goin'  to  everlastin  ruin  for  the  want  o'  sperit  in  the 
people.  If  we  ever  have  another  Indian  war  the 
redskins  will  git  the  country  back  into  their  own 
hands,  and  use  white  men  for  scarecrows." 

"Not  quite  so  bad  as  that,  Jerry." 

"  You  mind  what  I  say,  jedge.  I  hain't  got  no 
great  eddication,  and  I  don't  know  nothin'  about 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  29 

trigomummery  ;  but  when  white  men  won't  fight  the 
Injens  their  morals  is  gone,  and  they  ain't  good  for 
nothin'  but  to  make  slaves  on." 

None  of  us  were  much  disturbed  by  Jerry's  pro 
phetic  croaking,  and  we  all  ate  a  hearty  supper. 


CHAPTER  HI. 


MY  OWN  INVENTION.  —  THE  CARAVEL.  —  ITS  THREE  USES.  — 
A  TRAVELLING  FORTIFICATION.  —  A  CASEMATE  FOR  A 
DOZEN.  —  PREPARATIONS  FOR  LONG  SIEGES.  —  A  SKEPTI 
CAL  LISTENER.  —  A  DISGUSTED  LOVER.  —  THE  MEN  FROM 
SAN  DIEGO.  —ON  THE  TRAIL  AGAIN.—  ZEKE  PUNCHEON^ 
CABIN. 


next  morning  we  began  our  preparations  in 
earnest  for  the  enterprise  in  which  we  were  to 
embark.  I  had  had  the  intended  trip  in  mind  for 
months,  and  to  some  extent  had  made  ready  for  it. 
Among  other  things,  I  had  a  wagon  built  after  a  plan 
of  my  own.  The  body  was  of  iron,  though  it  was 
lighter  than  one  of  equal  strength  made  of  wood  would 
have  been. 

The  iron  plate  was  thick  enough  to  resist  an  ordi 
nary  rifle  ball,  though  it  was  by  no  means  as  thick  as 
boiler  iron.  It  was  water  tight,  and  had  been  con 
structed  with  the  greatest  care  under  my  own  super 
vision.  The  sides  and  ends  were  three  feet  high,  and 
the  latter  were  rounded.  It  was  not  a  convenient 
wagon  to  get  in  and  out  of,  but  then  it  was  not  a 
pleasure  vehicle. 
30 


THE    YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS.  31 

It  was  made  to  receive  hoops,  so  that  it  could  be 
covered  with  a  canvas  top.  A  short  ladder,  which 
could  be  hooked  upon  the  rail,  was  provided,  so  that 
the  difficulty  of  getting  in  and  out  of  it  was  reduced 
to  a  minimum.  But  our  party  were  all  to  ride  their 
own  horses,  and  there  would  not  be  much  occasion  to 
get  in  and  out. 

I  called  my  new-fangled  vehicle  a  caravel,  for  it 
could  hardly  pass  muster  as  a  wagon.  I  might  as 
well  have  called  it  a  frigate,  I  grant,  but  the  name  I 
gave  it  suited  me  better.  It  was  to  be  used  for  a 
threefold  purpose.  First,  it  was  to  do  duty  as  a 
wagon,  for  it  would  take  too  many  pack-horses  to 
transport  the  large  supply  of  provisions  necessary  for 
the  twenty-five  men  in  our  party. 

Second,  it  was  to  be  used  as  a  boat,  in  crossing 
rivers,  or,  if  we  came  to  navigable  waters,  it  would 
serve  as  a  barge  for  the  conveyance  of  our  heavier 
supplies.  I  had  tried  it  in  the  water,  and  it  was 
much  more  buoyant  than  a  wooden  craft  of  the  same 
weight  would  have  been.  I  had  high  hopes  of  the 
caravel  as  a  nautical  idea,  and  I  expected  it  would 
justify  the  name  I  had  given  it. 

Third,  the  caravel  was  to  be  useful  to  us  as  a  fortifi 
cation.  I  had  fired  no  end  of  rifle-balls  into  the  sides 
and  ends,  and  Hal  and  Ned  had  chalked  out  a  target 
upon  the  middle  of  the  side  ;  but  the  bullets  flattened 
upon  it.  The  impact  of  the  ball  caused  a  certain  de 
gree  of  vibration,  which  tended  to  prevent  a  missile 
from  going  through  the  iron  by  causing  it  to  rebound. 


32  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

Not  a  ball  passed  through  the  sides  of  the  cara 
vel  in  all  the  tests  to  which  it  was  subjected.  If  it 
was  proof  against  rifle-balls,  it  would  certainly  resist 
arrows,  javelins,  and  other  Indian  weapons.  Jerry 
and  Sile  had  laughed  a  great  deal  at  my  caravel, 
calling  it  an  ark,  and  declaring  that  this  was  a  better 
name  for  it  than  the  one  I  used.  They  did  not  believe 
in  carrying  a  fort  along  with  them,  and  if  a  man  could 
not  cross  the  continent  without  a  thing  like  that  he 
had  better  stay  at  home. 

As  a  novelty,  the  boys  were  pleased  with  it,  though 
they  had  imbibed  some  of  the  contempt  of  the  vete 
rans  at  the  idea  of  having  an  iron  box  to  climb  into  in 
case  of  danger.  But  I  was  not  disturbed  by  the  jeers 
of  the  boys  or  the  veterans.  I  had  made  up  my 
mind  after  the  stories  I  had  heard,  on  good  authority, 
in  regard  to  the  redskins,  that  we  were  to  have  a 
rougher  time  than  we  had  ever  seen  before. 

The  caravel  was  mounted  on  wheels  with  broad 
felloes,  and  it  was  all  ready  for  a  start.  My  peons 
and  vaqueros  had  hauled  it  alongside  the  house,  where 
we  could  conveniently  load  it  with  provisions  from 
the  cellar.  While  I  was  looking  it  over,  after  break 
fast,  to  be  sure  that  it  was  in  good  condition,  the  boys 
joined  me,  and  began  to  laugh  at  the  "ark." 

"  Perhaps  it  will  be  my  turn  to  laugh  within  a  few 
weeks,  boys.  I  hear  every  time  that  I  hear  any 
thing  that  the  Apaches  are  as  mad  as  hornets  about 
something,  and  all  who  come  in  their  way  lose  their 
scalps." 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  33 

w  But  the  whole  twenty-five  you  are  to  take 
•with  you  can't  get  into  your  ark,  judge,"  suggested 
Hal. 

"  I  don't  expect  to  get  them  all  in  to  it.  Jerry,  Sile, 
and  you  say  you  won't  hide  your  heads  from  the 
enemy  in  an  iron  box.  That  will  leave  only  ten  of 
us  to  occupy  it.  But  it  will  hold  fifteen  men,  and 
give  them  all  room  enough  to  shoot." 

"  Then  the  other  ten  have  got  to  stand  outside  and 
take  what  comes,"  sneered  Hal,  who  was  not  in  the 
best-natured  mood,  for  he  was  sure  we  should  not  be 
able  to  obtain  the  number  of  men  I  insisted  upon 
having.  ;'  The  dozen  peons  and  vaqueros,  the  ones 
who  are  the  readiest  to  hide  their  heads,  will  have  to 
stand  out  on  the  open  field." 

"I  don't  expect  to  use  the  caravel  for  a  fortification 
unless  we  are  surrounded,  or  hemmed  in  by  a  large 
force  we  are  not  strong  enough  to  hold  out  against  in 
the  open  field.  Do  you  see  those  bottom  boards?" 

Hal  had  ascended  the  ladder,  and  was  looking  into 
the  interior  of  the  body. 

"  I  see  them.  What  are  they  for — to  make  more 
load  for  the  horses  or  mules?"  asked  Hal,  with  a 
sneer  ;  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  he  was  getting  into 
a  bad  way  as  a  critic,  and  thought  he  knew  more 
about  taking  a  train  through  the  wilderness  than  any 
of  the  rest  of  us. 

"They  are  for  various  purposes.  They  arc  to  keep 
ttye  provisions  out  of  the  water,  if  it  rains  into  the 
body,  though  the  plug-hole  will  dispose  of  most  of  it. 


34  THE    YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

In  the  second  place,  they  are  to  be  used,  like  the 
wagon  itself,  for  purposes  of  defence." 

"Pine  boards  for  defence  against  Apache  Indians  !  " 
exclaimed  Ned.  "  If  I  did  not  know  to  the  contrary, 
I  should  suppose  that  you  had  never  seen  a  squad  of 
Apaches." 

ff  Probably  I  have  seen  a  hundred  while  you  have 
seen  one ;  and  when  you  have  seen  one-tenth  as 
many  as  I  have  you  will  know  more  about  them." 

"But  what  else  are  the  boards  for?"  asked  Ned, 
who  was  afraid  that  I  did  not  mean  to  answer  his 
companion. 

"Hand  me  one  of  them,  Hal." 

Hal  passed  one  of  the  boards,  cut  about  four  feet 
long,  and  I  set  it  up  against  the  caravel  body,  resting 
one  end  on  the  ground.  It  stood  at  an  angle  of 
twenty  degrees  from  a  perpendicular. 

"With  those  boards  arranged  like  that  one  all 
around  the  caravel,  the  men  will  shovel  dirt  and  sods 
against  them,  on  one  or  both  sides  of  the  vehicle,  as 
occasion  may  require.  Earth  is  the  best  substance  to 
resist  even  a  cannon  ball,  and  you  will  see  that  a  sort 
of  casemate  will  be  built  under  the  caravel.  In  this 
place  we  will  put  the  peons  and  vaqueros,  and  the 
non-fighting  portion  of  the  party." 

"  I  think  that  will  be  first  rate  ! "  exclaimed  Ned. 

"If  we  have  time  enough,  we  can  continue  the 
earthwork,  say,  four  feet  beyond  the  vehicle  at  both 
ends.  In  the  forward  part  we  can  have  a  place  for  a 
fire,  if  we  have  the  chance  to  gather  a  supply  of 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  35 

wood,  and  at  the  rear  end  we  can  have  an  enclosure 
for  the  ladder,  so  that  we  can  pass  between  the  upper 
and  the  lower  chamber  of  the  fortification." 

"  Do  you  think  the  Apaches  will  let  you  fix  things 
up  as  you  say,  judge?"  asked  Hal,  whose  ill-nature 
took  the  form  of  contempt  of  my  invention. 

"With  ten  of  us  on  the  inside  of  the  caravel, 
and  three  on  the  outside,  we  can  shoot  them  down 
until  they  conclude  to  move  off  to  a  safer  place. 
Then  we  may  have  an  opportunity  to  get  out 
and  bury  you  three,  as  well  as  to  complete  our 
defences." 

"Humph  !  "  sneered  Hal. 

"  We  should  carry  three  gravestones  for  you  if  it 
were  the  fashion  to  use  such  ornaments  in  the  Indian 
country." 

"I  don't  think  you  had  better  say  anything  more, 
Hal,"  laughed  Ned,  who  seemed  to  be  greatly  amused 
at  the  seriousness  with  which  I  talked  to  his  com 
panion. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  go  to  the  blacksmith's  and 
have  a  suit  of  iron  armor  made  for  each  member  of 
the  party,"  added  Hal,  who  never  gave  up  while  he 
had  anything  to  stand  upon. 

"  It  would  be  very  heavy  and  uncomfortable  in  a 
hot  day  ;  and  I  don't  believe  the  Apaches  would  be  so 
obliging  as  to  wait  for  you  to  put  it  on." 

"I  don't  believe  we  shall  need  any  armor  or  an 
iron  caravel,  for  we  are  not  going  at  all  if  we  have  to 
wait  till  we  find  six  more  men,"  snarled  Hal.  "  I  am 


36  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

going  off  on  a  hunt ;  and  if  I  am  back  in  a  week  it 
will  be  soon  enough  to  go  with  you." 

"  All  right,  but  we  shall  leave  as  soon  as  we  are 
ready." 

Hal  got  his  horse  and  rode  off.  He  was  an  im 
pulsive  fellow,  and  when  he  took  a  notion  into  his 
head,  he  allowed  it  to  run  away  with  him.  But  at 
that  time  he  had  not  far  to  go  to  find  a  hunting 
ground.  We  had  bears,  panthers,  and  other  heavy 
game  within  a  few  miles  of  us. 

"What  makes  Hal  so  cross  this  morning?"  asked 
Ned,  when  the  young  lover  had  departed. 

"  Pie  seems  to  be  sure  that  we  are  not  £oin«r  to 

O  O 

Chihuahua,  or  anywhere  else.  If  he  had  not  been 
in  such  ill-humor  I  should  have  told  him  by  this  time 
that  we  had  engaged  all  the  men  we  wanted." 

"But  isn't  it  time  those  men  were  here,  judge?" 
asked  Ned,  as  he  looked  at  his  watch  with  an  anxious 
face,  for  he  was  quite  as  much  interested  in  the  pro 
posed  trip  as  Hal,  though  from  a  different  motive. 

"It  is  now  after  ten  o'clock,  and  they  ought  to 
have  been  here  long  ago.  I  am  afraid  they  have 
found  too  much  civilization  in  San  Diego." 

"But  you  thought  they  were  all  honest  and  true 
men ;  and  they  promised  to  be  here  early  this 
morning,"  added  Ned. 

"  I  think  they  are  honest  and  true  men ;  but  prob 
ably  they  have  money,  and  they  may  have  got  too 
tipsy  to  remember  their  engagement." 

We  'waited  all  day  long,  and  the  six  men  did  not  put 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  37 

in  an  appearance.  Ned  feared  they  would  never 
come  ;  but  I  was  confident  that  as  soon  as  they  got 
over  the  lark  I  suspected  they  were  having  they 
would  come.  I  had  given  the  leader  of  the  squad 
written  directions  so  that  he  could  find  Buena  Vista 
ranch. 

Hal  did  not  return  that  night.  I  tried  to  treat  him 
like  a  young  man,  and  not  like  a  little  child ;  but  I 
was  very  anxious  about  him.  We  had  had  a  long  and 
hard  winter  in  the  mountains  to  the  north  of  us,  and 
some  of  the  heavy  game  had  come  down  near  the 
ranches,  starved  out  by  the  cold  and  the  snow. 

After  dinner  I  concluded  that  we  had  better  resume 
our  old  function  as  trail  hunters,  and  try  to  find  Hal. 
It  had  rained  the  morning  before,  while  we  were  re 
turning  from  San  Diego,  and  we  had  no  difficulty  in 
following  the  track  of  his  horse.  We  went  a  couple 
of  miles  towards  the  town,  and  then  struck  into  the 
woods.  A  few  miles  on  this  trail  brought  us  to  Zeke 
Puncheon's  cabin. 

Hal  had  slept  there  the  night  before,  for  the 
weather  was  still  too  cool  for  the  young  lover  to 
bivouac  in  the  woods  when  he  was  out  of  practice. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  SEARCH  FOR  THE  ABSENTEE.  —  THE  SIGNAL  WHISTLE.  — 
THE  STRAY  HORSE. — THE  GROUND  DISTURBED.  — A  SHOT 
IN  THE  DISTANCE. — A  LUDICROUS  SIGHT. — NED  BROWN'S 
SHOT. — THE  BENDING  TREE. — PLEASANT  SALUTATIONS. 
—  HAL'S  EXPLANATION.  —  BEAR  MEAT  FOR  ZEKE  PUN 
CHEON.  —  A  RACKET  IN  THE  TRAIL.  —  AN  ARRIVAL. 

rPIIE  information  obtained  at  the  cabin  in  regard  to 
Hal  relieved  me  in  a  measure,  but  we  continued 
the  search.  Ned  and  I  rode  on  about  five  miles  far 
ther,  and  I  knew  that  there  were  no  settlers  in  the 
direction  we  were  going,  still  following  the  trail  of 
the  Avayward  boy. 

"I  declare,  there  is  Hal's  horse,  browsing  about 
the  woods  ! "  exclaimed  Ned,  as  we  came  into  a  very 
wild  and  uneven  region. 

"  That  looks  bad.     But  he  may  be  all  right." 
Ned  put  his  fingers  into  his  mouth  and  whistled 
like  a  locomotive,  giving  the  signal  by  which  each  of 
the  boys  knew  the  other.     He   repeated  it  several 
times,  but  there  was  no  reply.     We  caught  the  horse 
and  tied  him  to  a  tree.    Taking  his  track,  we  followed 
it  for  a  mile  or  more. 
38 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

Ned  whistled  again,  but  we  got  no  reply.  The  trail 
of  the  horse  came  to  an  end  here.  We  saw  where 
Hal  had  fastened  him  to  a  tree,  and  he  appeared  to 
have  broken  away.  I  was  satisfied  that  there  was 
some  heavy  game  in  the  vicinity,  for  the  marks  on 
the  ground  indicated  that  Hal's  horse  had  started  on 
his  return  at  full  gallop ;  and  we  concluded  that  he 
had  been  frightened  by  a  bear  or  a  panther. 

"  But  Hal  was  not  on  the  horse  when  he  started  off 
at  that  gait,"  said  Ned,  when  we  had  considered  the 
situation  fully.  "I  find  his  track  leading  into  this 
wild  place." 

"  Probably  he  heard  a  bear  in  the  rocks,  and  dis 
mounted  to  try  his  luck  on  foot." 

Just  then  the  crack  of  a  rifle  attracted  our  attention. 
The  sound  came  but  a  short  distance,  and  we  hastened 
to  follow  it  up.  We  both  examined  our  guns,  like 
prudent  hunters,  to  assure  ourselves  that  they  were 
in  condition  for  instant  use. 

We  rushed  up  a  steep  rock  which  commanded  a 
view  of  an  open  space.  On  the  farther  side  of  the 
clear  spot  we  discovered  Hal,  and  both  of  us  were 
inclined  to  laugh  at  the  rather  Mdicrous  sight  which 
was  presented  to  us. 

It  was  evident  enough  that  Hal  had  not  hit  the 
bear,  for  his  cinnamonship  had  driven  the  valiant 
hunter  up  a  tree  !  We  took  it  in  at  once,  and  without 
any  explanation  from  the  subject  of  the  adventure. 
His  shot  had  roused  the  bear,  and  made  him  mad. 
Hal  had  a  double-barrelled  piece,  though  he  had 


40  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

fired  but  once.  The  game  had  pursued  him  so 
closely  that  he  had  thrown  away  his  gun,  and  at 
tempted  to  climb  a  small  fir-tree. 

When  we  first  saw  Hal,  the  bear  was  within  a  few 
feet  of  him,  and  he  Avas  hardly  out  of  the  reach  of  his 
dangerous  pursuer.  Then  he  climbed  a  foot  or  so 
farther  up  the  fir.  He  was  just  out  of  the  reach  of 
the  bear's  paws.  He  did  not  seem  to  be  in  immediate 
danger,  as  I  judged  at  the  first  glance,  and  we  paused 
a  moment  to  consider  the  situation. 

Hal  plainly  thought  he  was  still  too  near  his  un 
friendly  assailant,  and  he  was  trying  to  ascend  to  a 
higher  position  on  the  little  tree,  which  could  not 
have  been  more  than  two  inches  in  diameter.  The 
small  branches  snapped  off,  as  he  hung  his  weight 
upon  them,  and  he  was  obliged  to  hug  the  tree  to 
avoid  falling  to  the  ground  into  the  paws  of  his  ugly 
besieger. 

"Halloo!  Help!  Help!"  shouted  Hal;  and  his 
voice  was  so  shaky  that  he  could  not  have  been 
heard  if  he  had  been  any  farther  from  us. 

rf  That  won't  do  !  We  must  act  quick,  or  it  will  be 
too  late  ! " 

r'  The  bear  can't  reach  him  where  he  is,"  replied 
Ned. 

"But  don't  you  see  that  the  little  fir  is  bending 
over  under  Hal's  weight  ?  " 

o 

rt  I  see,"  replied  Ned,  bringing  his  gun  to  his 
cheek. 

Hal  roared  again  in  mortal  terror ;  and  I  was  con- 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  41 

fidcnt  that  he  had  heard  Ned's  signal.  Probably  his 
desire  to  get  a  shot  at  the  bear  had  prevented  him 
from  answering  it.  But  the  little  tree  was  fast 
losing  what  firmness  it  had  in  the  beginning  as  the 
besieged  hunter  went  higher.  When  I  thought  Hal 
was  about  to  be  carried  to  the  earth  by  the  failure  of 
the  tree,  Ned  fired. 

"You  hit  him,  but  you  have  only  made  matters 
worse  for  Hal.  The  bear  feels  it,  and  it  makes  him 
madder  than  he  was  before.  Give  him  the  other 
barrel ! " 

Ned  took  very  careful  aim,  and  let  fly  again. 
The  bear  leaped  into  the  air  in  the  direction  of  the 
tree,  and  I  thought  he  was  making  a  flying  spring  at 
Hal ;  but  he  dropped  on  the  ground,  "laid  out." 

"That  was  a  capital  shot,  Ned !  "  I  exclaimed,  not 
only  because  I  felt  relieved,  but  because  I  felt  it  to 
be  a  duty  to  encourage  the  boys  when  they  did  a 
good  thing. 

"  He  lies  still,"  replied  Ned,  fearing  that  the  brute 
might  revive  and  make  another  attack  upon  his 
friend. 

"  That's  the  end  of  him.  He  won't  climb  that  tree 
after  Hal." 

Hal  did  not  come  down  from  his  perch  in  the  little 
tree.  He  did  not  seem  to  deem  it  prudent  to  do  so 
until  he  made  sure  that  the  bear  was  not  in  condition 
to  embrace  him. 

Ned  and  I  started  for  the  spot  as  soon  as  he  had 
loaded  his  gun  again.  Hal  was  no  longer  in  danger, 


42  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

and  I  was  not  at  all  anxious  to  quiet  his  fears,  as  I 
should  have  been  if  Ned  had  been  the  sufferer.  It 
would  do  Hal  good  to  realize  his  own  weakness  and 
insufficiency,  after  all  the  loud  talk  in  which  he  had 
indulged. 

We  descended  from  the  high  rock  from  which  we 
had  witnessed  the  scene,  and  walked  leisurely  over 
to  the  fir-tree.  Hal  had  fixed  his  gaze  upon  the  bear, 
and  appeared  to  take  no  notice  of  us.  He  evidently 
expected  to  see  the  brute  come  to  life  and  climb  the 
tree  after  him. 

"  You  ought  to  have  brought  the  caravel  with  you, 
Hal !  "  cried  Ned,  as  we  approached  his  perch. 

"  Is  that  you,  Ned  ?  "  replied  Hal,  and  his  agitation 
had  not  abated  enough  to  enable  him  to  use  his  natu 
ral  voice,  and  he  spoke  as  though  his  heart  was  in  his 
throat. 

"Of  course  it  is  I.  Why  didn't  you  bring  the 
caravel  with  you,  and  then  you  could  have  crawled 
into  it  instead  of  climbing  that  tree  ?  " 

"Is  he  dead?"  asked  Hal,  glancing  from  Ned  to 
the  bear. 

"I  should  say  that  he  was.  If  he  isn't  we  are  in  a 
worse  position  than  you  are ;  and  the  judge  and  I 
may  want  the  caravel,"  laughed  Ned. 

I  pried  up  the  head  of  the  bear  with  the  butt  of  my 
gun,  and  was  convinced  that  he  would  never  drive 
another  boy  up  a  tree. 

"  He  may  be  only  stunned,"  suggested  Hal,  as  he 
paused  in  his  descent. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  43 

"  Ned's  ball  went  through  his  brain,  and  he  won't 
climb  any  tree." 

"Dead  as  a  last  year's  herring,"  added  Ned. 
Hal  straightened  out  his  legs,  which  he  had  hauled  in 
as  a  turtle  does  his  head,  and  dropped  to  the  ground. 
He  was  so  weak  that  he  could  not  stand  up,  and  he 
sank  down  upon  the  body  of  the  bear.  Ned  and  I 
raised  him,  and  he  soon  recovered  his  strength,  when 
his  fears  were  abated. 

«  Confound  that  bear  !  I  was  curled  up  so  that  it 
made  me  as  stiff  as  a  dead  horse.  But  I'm  all  right 
now,"  said  Hal,  when  he  became  himself  again. 
"  That  was  the  ugliest  cinnamon  I  ever  met." 

"  You  ou<rht  to  have  brought  the  caravel  with  you, 
Hal,"  laughed  Ned,  when  he  saw  that  his  companion 
was  all  ready  to  <f  crawl  out "  of  the  scrape  into  which 
he  had  fallen. 

"  Scuttle  the  caravel!  Did  you  see  how  it  all 
happened?"  asked  Hal,  looking  rather  sheepish, 
though  he  was  clearly  struggling  with  an  explanation 
in  his  mind  of  the  situation  in  which  he  had  been 
discovered. 

"  We  saw  enough  to  understand  the  whole  of  it." 
"We    saw  nearly  the   whole  of  it,"  added  Ned. 
"  But  we  were  in  no  hurry  to  interfere." 

"  I  thought  you  were  an  age  in  getting  here  after  I 
intimated  that  I  should  be  glad  to  see  you." 

"You  mean  by  that,  when  you  shouted  for  help." 
"We  were  looking  at  you  before  you  invited  us  to 
come  to  your  assistance,"  continued  Ned. 


44  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

Hal  seemed  to  be  embarrassed  when  lie  found  that 
we  had  seen  so  much  of  the  affair. 

rt  You  see  I  fired  at  the  bear,  and  hit  him,"  said 
Hal,  trying  to  get  his  explanation  in. 

"  That  is  just  what  I  did,  and  hit  him  ;  but  I  didn't 
hit  him  in  the  right  place,"  Ned  chimed  in. 

"Instead  of  lying  down,  and  dying,  as  a  proper 
bear  should  when  he  is  hit,  he  started  after  me,  con 
found  him  !  I  didn't  want  to  fire  on  him  with  my  last 
barrel  while  he  was  on  the  run  —  " 

"  Of  course  not !  "  Ned  laughed. 

"I  didn't  want  to  throw  away  my  last  chance,  and 
I  ran  for  that  high  rock.  I  thought  I  should  have  a 
better  chance  over  there.  But,  confound  it,  I  struck 
my  foot  against  a  stone,  and  it  threw  me  down,  or 
part  way  down,  and  I  dropped  my  gun.  It  was 
wholly  an  accident." 

"  Of  course  you  wouldn't  throw  your  gun  away  at 
such  a  time  ;  "  and  I  thought  Ned  was  getting  to  be  a 
little  too  rough  on  him. 

"As  soon  as  I  could  pick  myself  up,  I  found  the 
bear  was  upon  me.  The  brute  was  almost  on  the 
gun,  so  that  I  could  not  get  it.  All  I  could  do  then 
was  to  take  to  the  tree." 

"  Why  under  the  canopy  didn't  you  take  to  a  tree 
that  was  stout  enough  to  hold  you?  The  tree  was 
bending  over  when  I  fired,"  added  Ned. 

"I  hadn't  time  to  go  any  farther,"  pleaded  Hal,  as 
his  companion  had  pointed  to  a  fir  ten  times  as  bio-  as 
the  one  he  had  attempted  to  climb.  "It  is  easy 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  45 

enough  to  tell   what  you  would  do  beforehand,  or 
after  it  is  all  over." 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall  allow  you  to  go  off  in  the 
woods  hunting  alone  after  this." 

Hal  looked  at  me,  but  he  made  no  reply.  We 
started  back  to  the  place  where  we  had  left  our 
horses.  Ned  insisted  that  Hal  should  ride  his  nag 
till  he  came  to  the  place  where  we  had  secured  his 
own.  After  he  was  mounted  on  his  own  steed,  he 
began  to  recover  his  self-possession,  and  it  was  not 
lonir  before  he  was  talking  almost  as  loud  as  ever. 

We  stopped  at  Zeke  Puncheon's  cabin  to  tell  him 
where  he  could  find  the  bear,  for  we  had  got  sick  of 
bear  meat,  it  had  been  so  plentiful  of  late. 

"  What's  all  that  racket?"  asked  Ned,  as  we  came 
to  the  trail  which  led  to  San  Diego,  two  miles  from 
the  ranch. 

We  heard  the  voices  of  several  men  who  seemed 
to  be  in  a  very  hilarious  mood,  for  they  were  singing 
and  yelling,  making  the  country  ring  with  their 
revelry.  Presently  they  came  into  view,  and  I  dis 
covered  that  they  were  the  men  I  had  engaged  in 
San  Diego.  Their  present  condition  explained  why 
they  had  not  come  before,  for  they  were  all  well 
filled  with  whiskey.  I  had  guessed  right  in  regard 
to  their  non-appearance. 


CHAPTEE  Y. 

THE  SQUAD  FROM  SAN  DIEGO.  —  A  LESSON  FOR  HAL.  —  FOR 
MAL  INTRODUCTIONS.  —  THE  TALL  KENTUCKIAN.  —  THE 
OTHER  KENTUCKIAN.  —  A  FIRST-RATE  RECOMMENDATION. 
—  NO  MORE  WHISKEY.  —  A  QUIET  NIGHT.  —  PREPARA 
TIONS  FOR  THE  DEPARTURE.  —  SELECTING  THE  HORSES.  — 
GIANT.  —  THE  HORSE-TAMER.  —  MOUNTED  AND  OFF. 


in  the  world  arc  all  these  ruffians?"  asked 
ILil,  who  had  not  yet  learned  about  the  ex 
pected  arrival  of  the  recruits.  "  I  don't  think  we  had 
better  show  ourselves  to  them." 

"  That's  right,  Hal  ;  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are 
getting  to  be  a  prudent  boy.'"' 

"  What  are  you  doing  with  your  gun,  Hal?  "  asked 
Ned,  when  he  saw  that  his  companion  was  bringing 
his  weapon  into  a  position  where  it  would  be  avail 
able  for  use. 

"  How  do  we  know  but  these  ruffians  are  highway 
men  or  bandits  ?  I  want  my  gun  where  I  can  use  it 
if  there  is  any  need,"  replied  Hal. 

"  Don't  bother  with  your  gun.  You  will  only  pro 
voke  them  if  you  are  suspicious,"  added  Ned. 

"  But  a  crowd  of  fellows  like  that  killed  a  man  not 
far  from  here  a  year  ago,"  continued  Hal.  "I  want 
4G 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  47 

my  gun  where  I  can  use  it,  and  not  where  it  was 
when  that  bear  set  upon  me." 

"  We  are  all  hyer,  jedge  !  "  yelled  the  leader  of  the 
party,  who  was  at  least  six  feet  and  a  half  high, 
though  he  was  as  lank  as  a  greyhound. 

"  I  see  you  are  all  here,  though  you  are  not  exactly 
on  time." 

"That's  true,  jedge ;  and  that  slip  is  on  my  con 
science,"  answered  the  leader,  with  an  effort  to  look 
serious  and  solemn.  "We  took  a  drink  all  round, 
jedge,  and  our  legs  got  so  tangled  up  we  couldn't  leg 
it  up  to  the  ranch ;  and  we  had  to  wait  to  get  'em 
unsnarled.  That's  the  hull  on't." 

"  Your  tongues  have  got  a  little  snarled  up  as  well 
as  your  legs." 

"  Mos'  likely.  I  hcerd  the  young  squire  call  you  a 
jedge  ;  and  I  reckon  he  know'd  what  he  was  a  talkin' 
about.  Now,  jedge,  what  be  you  a  jedge  of?" 

"  I  am  a  judge  of  men ;  and  that  is  the  reason  I 
wanted  you  to  go  with  me  on  the  expedition  we  arc 
to  undertake." 

"  That's  handsome ;  you  be  an  upright  and  jest 
jedge.  But  be  you  a  jedge  of  good  whiskey  ?  "  asked 
the  long  leader. 

"  No,  I  am  not !  " 

"  Who  is  to  jedge  of  the  whiskey  we  tote  with  us 
on  the  trip?" 

"  We  carry  none,  except  in  the  medicine  chest." 

"Who  are  these  fellows?"  demanded  Hal,  amazed 
at  the  conversation  to  which  he  had  listened. 


48  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  They  are  a  part  of  our  party  for  the  trip,"  replied 
Ned,  enjoying  the  astonishment  of  Hal.  "We  en 
gaged  them  all  in  San  Diego  when  we  were  there  day 
before  yesterday." 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  of  it  ?  " 

"You  were  not  very  amiable,  and  the  judge  said 
you  might  find  it  out  for  yourself.  I  think  we  shall 
be  off  day  after  to-morrow.  If  these  men  had  come 
when  they  promised,  we  should  have  been  off  this 
morning,  and  you  might  have  been  swallowed  whole 
by  that  bear." 

"  If  you  had  been  a  little  more  tractable,  Hal,  you 
would  have  known  all  about  it.  We  will  leave  these 
men  to  finish  their  tramp,  and  we  will  ride  on." 

Hal  bit  his  lips  with  vexation.  He  had  been 
altogether  too  stiff  and  self-important,  as  wrcll  as 
rebellious  in  spirit  against  the  plans  of  his  elders. 
But  he  had  quite  enough  to  take  him  down  that  day. 
He  realized  that  I  had  not  given  him  my  confidence 
as  I  had  Ned,  and  it  annoyed  him.  He  had  a  great 
many  good  qualities,  with  some  disagreeable  traits  of 
character.  He  was  by  no  means  a  coward,  though  he 
was  not  so  reliable  in  an  emergency  as  Ned,  who 
never  bragged  or  blustered. 

The  tipsy  party  yelled  at  us  as  we  rode  on  ;  but  I 
would  not  allow  the  boys  to  make  any  reply  to  them, 
though  they  were  disposed  to  do  so.  On  our  arrival 
at  Buena  Vista,  it  took  some  time  to  tell  Sile  and 
Jerry  the  story  of  Hal.  The  veterans  were  as  much 
in  the  dark  about  the  engagement  of  the  hunters 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  49 

as  Hal  had  been.  They  had  entertained  Jacob  and 
Emile,  and  all  of  them  had  been  telling  stories  of 
adventure  when  the  recruits  arrived. 

The  veterans  were  not  a  little  startled  when  the 
yells  of  the  recruits  reached  them.  The  men  filed 
into  the  door-yard  in  a  rather  disorderly  manner,  and 
Jerry  Vance  was  disposed  to  be  a  little  severe  upon 
them.  But  I  toned  him  down,  and  when  I  told  him 
and  Sile  that  they  were  to  be  of  our  party,  both  of 
them  were  ready  to  embrace  the  newcomers. 

"  I  don't  know  the  names  of  any  of  your  party  or  I 
would  introduce  you  to  your  companions  on  the  trip." 

I  spoke  to  the  leader  of  the  party,  for  he  had  done 
all  the  talking  for  them  from  the  beginning.  His  in 
fluence  with  them  seemed  to  be  unlimited,  though 
they  hardly  said  a  word.  There  was  a  great  change 
in  this  man  since  I  had  seen  him  before.  Then  he 
was  one  of  the  most  solemn  and  reserved  persons  I 
ever  saw ;  now  he  was  rollicking  and  lively ;  but 
it  was  plain  that  the  whiskey  he  had  drunk  was  the 
cause  of  the  change  in  his  deportment. 

"My  name  is  Ben  Cavendish,  from  ^Kentucky ; 
half  hoss  and  half  alligator,  and  the  rest  snappin' 
turkle,"  replied  Ben,  giving  me  his  great,  hard  hand, 
as  he  dropped  the  butt  of  the  longest  rifle  I  ever  saw 
on  the  floor  of  the  verandah  —  a  luxury  we  had  built 
on  during  the  winter. 

"I  am  glad  to  know  you,  Ben  Cavendish;  and 
I  hope  you  wron't  get  chewed  up  on  the  trip  we  are 
about  to  make." 


50  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  I  ain't  the  sort  o'  cavendish  that  gits  chawed  up, 
jedge.  I'm  mighty  apt  to  do  the  chawing  myself 
when  there's  any  to  be  done,"  answered  Ben,  opening 
his  mouth  from  ear  to  ear,  in  appreciation  of  my  joke 
and  his  retort.  "  I  kin  shoot  with  any  man  this  side 
o'  sundown,  or  t'other  side  either." 

"  Ben,  this  is  Sile  Carter,  who  puts  three  balls  into 
the  same  hole  at  three  hundred  feet." 

"  Sile,  yours  truly.  I'm  glad  to  know  any  man 
that  kin  dew  that,"  said  Ben,  grasping  the  hand  of 
the  veteran. 

"  I  don't  say  I  can  do  that ;  and  I  cal'late  you  can 
beat  me,"  said  Sile,  magnanimously. 

"  You  hain't  drunk  no  whiskey  to-day,  Sile  Carter  ; 
and  that's  the  reason  you  don't  brag.  I  have  drunk 
six  quarts  of  whiskey  to-day,  and  that's  what  makes 
me  brag.  Jest  as  likely  as  not  you  can  beat  me 
shootin',  Sile ;  but  if  you  kin,  you  are  the  fust  critter 
I've  seen  in  Californy  thet  kin  do  it." 

Ben  certainly  knew  what  was  the  matter  with  him. 
He  pursed  out  his  under  lip,  apparently  to  give  dig 
nity  to  his  expression,  and  then  walked  up  to  the 
next  man  of  his  party  and  took  him  by  the  collar  of 
his  hunting  shirt.  The  man  thus  handled  was  nearly 
as  tall  as  Ben ;  and  the  Kentuckian  dragged  him  up 
before  me. 

"Jedge,  this  is  Buck  Sykes  ;  he  is  a  Kentuckianr 
like  yours  truly,  and  a  fifth  cousin  of  one  of  the  Pres 
idents  of  the  United  States  ;  and  of  half  a  dozen  more, 
on  'em,  fors  all  I  knows  about  it.  He  kin  lick  tevr 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  51 

tons  of  grizzlies,  or  ten  tons  of  painters,  and,  next  to 
me,  he  is  the  best  man  in  this  crowd.  He  can  halve 
a  rifle  ball  on  your  razor,  and  leave  it  fit  to  shave 
with  the  next  minute ;  and  ef  he  leaves  more  lead  in 
one  than  in  t'other,  we'll  turn  him  out  o'  the  squad." 

"  He  must  be  a  valuable  man  to  us." 

"Val'able?  I  should  say  he  would!  Wuth  his 
weight  in  gold  mines.  Val'able  ain't  no  name  for 
Buck  Sykes.  As  to  Injens,  why  he  don't  make  no 
more  account  on'  em  than  he  does  of  flies  and  kittens." 

"I  am  glad  to  know  you,  Buck."  I  shook  his 
hand  while  Ben  was  dragging  up  another  of  his 
companions. 

"  Jedge,  this  is  the  most  honery  funny  cuss  that  ever 
walked  on  tew  broom-handles.  His  name  is  Linn 
Hoover;  but  he  didn't  come  from  old  Kaintuck ; 
that's  all  I  got  agin  him  —  thct  he  didn't  git  a  better 
place  to  be  born  in.  But  he  kin  eat,  and  drink 
whiskey,  and  shoot,  and  sleep  sixteen  hours  in  a 
day ;  he  kin  do  everything  but  run  ;  and  he  couldn't 
do  that  if  nineteen  grizzlies  and  tew  catamounts  was 
chasin'  him." 

Linn  Hoover  was  duly  welcomed.  He  was  a 
young  man,  and  as  much  given  to  laughing  as  Jacob 
Jager.  I  took  him  for  a  wag  that  enjoyed  his  own 
jokes,  whether  anybody  else  did  or  not,  The  other 
three  men  were  Leon  Blanco,  who  appeared  to  be  a 
Spaniard,  Pierre  Santon,  another  Canadian  voyageur, 
and  Eolf  Brooks,  from  the  state  of  New  York. 

All  the  men  were  introduced  to  one  another ;  and 


52  THE   YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

the  greatest  good  feeling  prevailed  in  all  of  them. 
My  peons  prepared  a  bountiful  supper  for  them,  and 
they  ate  as  though  they  had  been  starved  for  a  month. 
The  whiskey  the  San  Diego  men  had  drunk  was 
beginning  to  lose  its  effect,  and  in  the  evening  they 
wanted  more ;  but  I  succeeded  in  quieting  them 
without  it.  I  provided  them  with  skins  and  blankets, 
and  they  camped  on  the  floor.  I  heard  nothing  more 
of  them  till  morning. 

They  turned  out  before  sunrise ;  and  their  de 
meanor  was  completely  changed.  They  were  suffer 
ing  from  the  effect  of  their  whiskey  debauch,  and  I 
permitted  them  to  sleep  most  of  the  day.  The  caravel 
was  loaded  by  our  regular  men.  Hams  and  bacon 
were  the  principal  part  of  the  load,  though  we  had  a 
large  supply  of  powder  and  lead. 

In  the  afternoon  all  the  horses  were  driven  in  by 
the  vaqueros,  and  I  called  out  the  recruits  to  select 
their  own  steeds.  We  had  some  of  the  finest  animals 
on  the  Pacific  coast.  Many  of  them  were  as  wild  and 
untamed  as  the  mustangs  of  the  valleys,  and  only 
perfect  horsemen  could  do  anything  with  them. 

Ben  Cavendish,  who  was  now  stern  and  reserved, 
selected  the  largest  horse  on  the  ranch ;  and  he  was 
at  the  same  time,  the  wildest.  Sile  and  Jerry  were 
more  afraid  of  these  animals  than  of  twice  the  num 
ber  of  grizzlies,  and  no  attempt  had  been  made  to 
mount  the  Giant,  as  we  called  him. 

"  That  is  a  very  wild  horse  you  have  picked  out, 
Ben,"  I  suggested  to  him. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  53 

"All  right,"  replied  the  Kentuckian,  coldly. 

"He  may  give  you  trouble ;  and  we  have  not  the 
time  to  break  in  colts,  though  that  beast  is  six  years 
old." 

"  I  kin  fix  him,"  was  all  Ben  would  say. 

The  other  men  chose  animals  nearly  as  wild  as 
Giant.  When  they  had  selected  the  horses  they 
wanted  they  proceeded  to  catch  them.  We  did  not 
believe  Ben  could  capture  the  one  he  had  picked  out. 
He  went  in  among  the  herd,  and  I  lost  sight  of  him 
for  a  few  minutes.  All  my  hands  had  tried  to  catch 
Giant  and  had  failed.  If  we  got  him  into  the  corral, 
he  would  leap  the  highest  fence  we  could  build  and 
would  allow  no  man  to  come  within  twenty  feet 
of  him. 

In  a  few  minutes  Ben  came  out  of  the  herd  leading 
Giant  with  a  halter  he  had  carried  with  him.  The 
animal  was  full  of  mettle,  but  Ben  walked  along  with 
him  as  dignified  as  though  he  had  been  attending 
a  Kentucky  court.  He  bridled  him  without  any 
serious  difficulty.  He  seemed  to  have  come  to  an 
understanding  with  the  brute. 

The  saddle  was  adjusted  with  a  little  assistance 
from  Buck  Sykes,  and  Ben  leaped  upon  his  back. 
Things  were  lively  for  a  few  minutes ;  and  then 
Giant  went  off  in  a  series  of  long  bounds.  Horse 
and  rider  disappeared,  and  I  wondered  if  both  would 
come  in  alive. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LINN  HOOVER'S  MISHAP.  —  THE  CONQUEROR  OF  CROSSGRAIN. 
—  THE  RETURN  OF  BEN  AND  GIANT.  —  JACOB'S  TREATMENT 
OF  A  VICIOUS  HORSE.  —  ON  THE  VERANDAH.  —  SOME 
THING  ABOUT  EASTERN  BOYS.  —  KENTUCKY  BOYS.  —  BEN'S 
OPINION  OF  THE  CARAVEL.  —  BUCK  SYKES'S  YARN.  —  • 
NOVEL  TREATMENT  OF  A  GRIZZLY. 


rPIIE  rest  of  the  recruits  had  caught  and  mounted 
•*•  their  steeds  ;  but  not  all  of  them  remained 
mounted  more  than  a  couple  of  minutes.  Some  of 
them  were  thrown  a  dozen  times,  but  Linn  Hoover 
was  the  only  one  who  went  back  upon  his  first  choice. 
He  mounted  the  animal  he  had  selected,  and  rode  off 
at  a  lively  gait. 

We  saw  him  gallop  through  a  clump  of  trees  we 
had  saved  for  shade,  and  he  was  just  coming  out  upon 
the  open  ground  again,  when  his  horse  suddenly 
dropped  his  head,  and  planted  himself  against  his 
forward  feet.  The  next  we  saw  of  Linn  he  was 
flying  through  the  air  over  the  horse's  head.  He  got 
there  before  the  brute  did. 

It  was  sheer  ugliness  on  the  part  of  the  animal,  and 
Linn  was  pitched  off  with  malice  aforethought.  He 
picked  himself  up,  and  there  stood  the  horse  behind 
54 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKEES.  55 

him.  He  did  not  offer  to  run  away,  and  the  rider 
took  him  by  the  rein,  and  led  him  buck  into  the  cor 
ral.  Very  likely  the  horseman  saw  more  stars  than 
are  laid  down  in  the  celestial  chart,  or  at  least  a  dif 
ferent  set  of  them.  If  he  was  damaged  at  all,  he  had 
grit  enough  not  to  mention  the  fact. 

"  I  could  ride  that  beast  through  a  mirage,  bottom 
up,  first  rate,"  said  Linn  Hoover,  as  he  led  the 
vicious  steed  up  to  the  spot  where  I  stood.  "  If  I 
had  him,  I  should  use  only  his  hide  and  tallow." 

"You  don't  told  me  dot  hoss  won't  blease  you," 
interposed  Jacob. 

w  I  don't  told  you  so,  but  that's  what  I  said  to  the 
jedge,"  replied  Linn,  looking  with  contempt  upon  the 
German. 

"  I  puts  my  eyes  on  dot  hoss  when  I  first  comes  in 
do  blace,  and  I  wants  him ;  und  I  feel  as  dough  I 
lose  all  your  wife's  relations  ven  I  see  you  took 
him,"  added  Jacob,  cheerfully. 

"  Try  him,  Jacob,  while  the  saddle  and  bridle  are 
on  him." 

"  Dot  is  der  finest  hoss  as  you  have  in  der  blace, 
joodge,"  added  Jacob,  as  he  took  the  rein  from  the 
hunter  who  had  been  thrown. 

"  I  guess  your  head  is  thick  enough  to  let  him  fling 
it  against  a  rock,  and  it  won't  hurt  you ;  but  mine 
won't  stand  that  sort  of  treatment.  I  carry  my  brains 
in  my  head  ;  but  some  folks  don't  have  any  to  carry," 
said  Linn,  mortified  to  see  the  horse  he  had  rejected 
taken  by  another. 


56  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

This  particular  animal  was  one  of  the  best  built  for 
endurance  in  the  herd,  and  his  only  failing  was  his 
vicious  temper,  which  to  most  men  would  have  been 
a  fatal  objection.  Jacob  sprang  lightly  into  the  sad 
dle,  and  put  his  heels  into  the  flanks  of  the  ugly  brute. 
The  horse  went  off  at  as  lively  a  pace  as  he  had 
shown  Linn ;  but  he  was  hardly  out  of  corral  before 
we  saw  the  German  flying  through  the  air.  But  he 
came  down  upon  his  feet,  and  leaped  into  the  saddle 
again  as  though  nothing  had  happened. 

Again  and  again  we  saw  him  going  through  the  air 
like  a  sky-rocket,  but  he  always  came  down  on  his 
feet,  though  it  sometimes  required  a  somerset  to  cor 
rect  his  position.  We  left  him  to  enjoy  his  recrea 
tion  after  this  fashion,  and  continued  to  aid  the  rest 
of  the  men  in  making  their  selections.  The  last  man 
had  hardly  been  fitted  out  before  Ben  Cavendish  rode 
into  the  corral. 

Giant  was  in  a  reeking,  foaming  sweat,  covered 
with  froth  and  lather.  The  Kentuckian  sat  upon  his 
back  as  though  he  was  born  there,  and  held  his  head 
up  with  a  dignity  which  all  the  judges  on  the  bench 
do  not  present.  His  steed  seemed  to  be  under  per 
fect  control,  and  to  be  thoroughly  subdued.  Ben  did 
not  say  a  word,  and  I  could  not  even  detect  a  smile 
of  triumph  on  his  hard  face. 

He  dismounted,  and  seemed  to  be  quite  satisfied 
with  the  test  to  which  he  had  subjected  Giant ;  and  I 
fancied  that  the  animal  was  equally  contented  with 
the  new  relations  into  which  he  had  entered  with  hu- 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  57 

manity.  I  asked  Ben  how  he  liked  the  horse,  and  he 
said  he  would  not  give  him  for  all  the  rest  of  the  herd. 
He  had  wrought  a  miracle  upon  the  fiery  creature, 
and  the  problem  of  what  I  should  do  with  him  when  I 
had  been  unable  to  do  anything  was  settled. 

It  was  sundown  when  Jacob  came  in.  We  saw  him 
half  a  mile  off,  and  Crossgrain,  as  we  had  always 
called  him,  moved  along  very  quietly,  though  at  a 
rapid  rate.  When  he  came  into  the  corral,  I  saw 
that  the  sides,  and  even  the  haunches  of  the  horse 
were  covered  with  blood.  Crossgrain  had  evidently 
been  subjected  to  some  sort  of  heroic  treatment ;  but 
I  did  not  object,  for  we  had  tried  all  manner  of 
gentle  dealing  with  Uim. 

I  asked  Jacob  how  he  got  along  with  the  beast,  and 
he  told  me  he  liked  him  very  much.  As  soon  as  he 
got  the  hang  of  the  brute's  mode  of  operations  he 
had  no  difficulty  in  bringing  him  to  terms.  Just 
before  he  threw  himself  back  against  his  forward  feet, 
he  had  to  gather  up  for  the  operation ;  and  Jacob 
learned  by  the  feeling  what  he  was  about.  At  this 
point,  he  pricked  him  sharply  with  his  belt  knife. 

Having  learned  when  to  expect  to  be  pitched  over 
the  steed's  head,  Jacob  was  able  to  avoid  this  part  of 
the  programme,  though  he  gave  the  horse  a  part  of 
his  knife-blade  every  time  he  attempted  it.  Half  an 
hour  of  this  discipline  was  all  Crossgrain  wanted,  and 
Jacob  rode  up  to  the  ranch-house  the  victor  in  the 
contest. 

The  important  matter  of  mounting  the  men  was 


58  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

settled ;  the  provisions,  stores  and  ammunition  had 
been  loaded  upon  the  caravel ;  the  boys  had  packed 
their  saddle-bags ;  and  every  preparation  had  been 
completed.  I  did  not  expect  to  get  away  very  early 
in  the  morning,  and  I  was  not  anxious  to  do  so.  I 
had  found  that  nothing  was  gained  by  hurrying  in  the 
start,  and  I  did  not  wish  to  have  to  wait  while  some 
one  came  back  for  something  that  had  been  forgotten. 
I  had  made  out  a  list  of  articles  needed,  and  had  been 
adding  to  it  up  to  the  present  time. 

When  the  day's  work  was  done,  the  men  smoked 
their  pipes  on  the  verandah,  and  talked  about  the 
journey  before  us.  In  bringing  ten  men  together, 
eight  of  whom  I  had  never  see^n  before  the  present 

week,  I  feared  that  there  would  be  some  bickering 

& 

and  quarrelling  among  them ;  but  so  far  an  excellent 
spirit  had  prevailed.  We  had  one  Spaniard,  two 
Frenchmen,  and  a  German  in  the  party ;  but  they 
seemed  to  receive  quite  as  much  consideration  as  the 
native-born  citizens. 

"Be  you  gwine  with  us,  my  boy?"  asked  Ben 
Cavendish,  as  Ned  Brown  passed  him  on  his  way  out 
of  the  house. 

:t  Yes,  sir;  I  am  to  be  one  of  the  party,"  replied 
Ned,  Avith  his  cheerful  smile. 

"  Be  you  the  son  of  the  jedge  ?  " 

"No,  sir ;  he  is  no  relation  to  me,  but  I  am  the  son 
of  a  friend  of  his." 

"  Then,  most  likely  you  wan't  born  in  the  woods, 
and  been  fetched  up  on  alligator  milk,"  said  Ben,  who 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  59 

hftd  said  more  to  the  boy  than  to  all  others  during 
the  day. 

"  No,  sir ;  I  was  brought  up  on  cow's  milk  in  one 
o-f  the  New  England  States,"  answered  Ned,  wonder 
ing  why  the  Kentuckian  was  making  so  much  of 
him. 

"  New  England ;  I've  hearn  on't.  I  b'lieve  all  the 
boys  out  there  wear  white  kid  gloves,"  added  Ben, 
solemnly. 

"  No,  sir ;  I  lived  there  till  about  a  year  ago,  and  I 
never  had  a  pair  on ;  and  I  never  saw  a  boy  of  my 
age  wear  them,"  protested  Ned,  warmly. 

"  I've  hearn  that  all  the  boys  talk  Latin  and  Greek 
when  they  are  out  to  play,  and  wear  spectacles." 

"  I  don't  know  a  word  of  Latin  or  Greek,  though  I 
wish  I  did,  and  never  wore  glasses.  Do  the  boys  in 
Kentucky  feed  on  rattlesnakes,  and  sleep  on  the 
ridge-poles  of  the  houses  and  barns?"  asked  Ned, 
soberly. 

"  Some  on  'em  does,  but  rattlesnakes  isn't  their 
stiddy  rations.  They  chaws  one  up  when  they  gits  a 
chance,  but  I  reckon  they  allus  spits  'em  out." 

"Do  your  boys  pick  their  teeth  with  a  crowbar?" 

"I  reckon  some  o'  the  big  uns  does.  But  we  uns 
in  Kaintuck  ain't  so  onery  wild  as  you  think  for," 
said  Ben. 

"  And  New  England  boys  are  not  so  dainty  and 
learned  as  you  seem  to  think  they  are.  They  can  all 
read  and  write,  but  they  can  shoot,  ride  horseback, 
and  swim  in  the  sea  or  a  river." 


60  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKEKS. 

"  Call  it  squar,  my  boy.  I  see  you  kin  do  a  thing 
or  tew,  and  I  reckon  there's  simthin  of  you,"  added 
Ben. 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Cavendish." 

"  Don't  mister  me,  nor  say  'sir'  to  me ;  I  ain't  a 
dancin'  master,  and  I  don't  want  nobody  to  mince 
things  for  me  to  eat,  case  my  grinders  kin  do  their 
own  flourin'." 

"  All  right,  Ben.  I  suppose  you  haven't  been  in 
this  wild  country  all  your  life  ?  " 

"  Well,  no,  lad ;  I  was  born  in  old  Kaintuck,  but 
I've  been  out  here  more'n  ten  years,  trappin',  huntin', 
and  fightin'  Injens." 

rf  Then,  I  dare  say,  you  can  spin  some  yarns,  as 
the  sailors  say  ?  " 

"  When  did  they  say  it?  I've  hearn  backwoods  men 
spin  yarns  that  never  seen  a  pint  o'  salt  water  in  their 
lives.  No ;  I  don't  spin  no  yarns.  Buck  Sykes 
spins  all  the  yarns  ;  and  makes  the  wool  out  o'  some 
on  'em." 

"I  dare  say  you  have  looked  over  the  judge's 
caravel.  What  do  you  think  of  it,  Ben?"  asked 
Ned. 

"I  looked  it  over,  and  I  hain't  got  nothin'  to  say 
agin  it.  A  rifle-ball  will  kill  me  as  quick  as  the  next 
un,  and  I  allus  fights  Injens  behind  a  rock  when  I 
gits  a  rock  to  stand  behind.  Don't  git  shot  when 
there  ain't  no  need  on't,  my  lad.  The  iron  boat  is  a 
good  thing,  and  the  jedge  has  got  a  long  head,  and 
don't  you  forget  it." 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  61 

"I  am  not  likely  to  forget  it,  Ben,"  laughed  Ned. 

I  heard  some  of  this  conversation,  and  I  was 
pleased  with  the  endorsement  of  the  Kentuckian ; 
and  I  was  glad  to  see  that  he  was  a  prudent  man. 
We  had  breakfast  at  six  o'clock  the  next  morning. 
The  boys  always  sat  next  to  me,  one  on  each  side. 
Ned  had  invited  Ben  Cavendish,  for  he  seemed  to 
have  a  great  admiration  for  him,  to  sit  next  to 
him. 

We  had  cold  ham  for  breakfast,  and  I  gave  Ben  a 
slice  the  full  size  of  the  leg.  He  took  a  tin  box  from 
his  pocket,  and  proceeded  to  cover  the  meat  with 
something  in  the  shape  of  a  reddish  powder. 

"What's  that,  Ben?" 

"  Nothin'  but  red  pepper.  I  use  it  'case  I  likes  it, 
and  'case  it  likes  me.  I  filled  up  this  box  in  San 
Dieo-o.  It's  a  good  tiling  allus  to  hev  a  box  of  red 

G  o  o 

pepper  with  you?"  replied  Ben. 

Whereat  Buck  Sykes  began  to  chuckle  and  laugh. 
We  all  looked  at  him,  but  he  only  looked  at  Ben  and 
laughed  the  more. 

"  Ben  don't  tell  no  yarns,  and  I  hes  to  tell  'em  for 
him.  One  day  when  we  was  down  on  the  Platte 
River,  Ben  went  out  to  walk,"  said  Buck.  "  I  reckon 
he  walked  further  than  he  meant  to,  when  he  didn't 
hev  no  gun  with  him.  A  big  grizzly  made  for  him, 
and  Ben  went  up  a  tree,  and  the  b'ar  scratched  one 
of  his  boots  off  afore  he  got  to  his  perch.  That  b'ar 
kept  him  there  all  night.  He  was  lucky  enough  to 
have  some  cold  venison  in  his  bag,  and  he  ate  it,  and 


62  THE    YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

throwed  the  bones  to  the  critter.  He  put  red  pepper 
on  his  meat.  Then  Ben  got  an  idee.  He  went  down 
to  the  lower  limb  of  the  tree,  and  held  out  a  bone  to 
the  b'ar.  The  b'ar  tuck  it ;  and  just  then  Ben  emptied 
part  of  the  pepper  in  the  box  in  the  b'ar's  face.  Ben 
says  he  didn't  eat  no  more  meat  just  then,  but 
laid  down  on  the  ground ;  and  it  'peared  like  he 
wanted  to  scratch  his  own  eyes  out ;  he  didn't  like 
red  pepper  in  his  eyes,  no  more'n  Ben  does.  He 
was  rip-roarin',  stavin',  snortin'  mad,  and  didn't  pay 
no  more  'tention  to  Ben.  That  b'ar  felt  jest  as 
though  he  owed  a  butcher's  bill,  and  couldn't 
pay  it. 

"  Ben  didn't  wait  for  him  to  pay  it,  nuther.  He 
jest  slipped  down  the  tree  to  the  ground.  He  wan't 
quite  sure  about  the  b'ar,  and  so  he  hove  the  rest  of 
the  red  pepper  in  the  box  into  the  face  of  the  b'ar, 
and  lined  it  fur  the  camp.  So  you  see  red  pepper's 
e'enamost  as  good  as  a  rifle  to  fight  a  grizzly  with. 
I  don't  know  but  it  would  do  fur  Injens  jest  as  well 
as  fur  b'ars." 

"  And  I  didn't  git  no  more  red  pepper  for  three 
months,"  added  Ben. 

"  Is  that  yarn  one  of  those  for  which  Buck  finds  the 
wool  himself  ?  "  asked  Ned,  in  a  low  tone. 

"No,  my  lad ;  that  yarn's  as  true  as  preachin',  and 
ef  you  don'  believe  it,  I  kin  show  you  the  tree  over 
on  the  Platte,"  said  Ben. 

"  As  the  tree  must  be  all  of  a  thousand  miles  from 
here,  I  think  I  won't  see  it  to-day." 


THE  YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  63 

"  But  it's  thar,  jest  as  shore  as  you  set  hyer," 
protested  Ben. 

"  I  don't  doubt  it ;  and  as  an  ounce  of  red  pepper 
is  not  a  heavy  load,  it  will  pay  to  carry  it." 

After  breakfast  we  were  ready  to  take  to  the 
saddle. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

READY  FOR  A  START. — THE  MEMORY  OF  TITE  TROUBLESOME 
HORSES.  —  THE  BUGLE  CALL.  —  LIEUTENANT  SILE  CARTER. — 
MY  LITTLE  SPEECH.  —  THE  CARAVEL  IN  MOTION.  —  ACROSS 
THE  DESERT. — FORT  YUMA.  —  A  BROAD  AND  RAPID 
RIVER.  —  PREPARATIONS  FOR  CROSSING. — THE  ADVANCE 
PARTY.  —  UNITED  THEY  SWIM.  —  AN  UNEXPECTED  ALARM. 

A  S  soon  as  our  morning  meal  was  finished  the  men 
•^  went  for  their  horses.  I  had  some  curiosity  in 
regard  to  the  conduct  of  Giant  and  Crossgrain,  and  I 
wondered  if  they  would  remember  the  lessons  of  the 
day  before.  But  I  had  not  the  time  to  go  to  the  cor 
ral,  which  was  a  large  enclosure  we  had  fenced  in, 
where  the  stock  could  be  gathered  together  when 
necessary. 

The  vaqueros  hitched  on  the  horses  that  were  to 
draw  the  caravel.  There  were  twelve  of  them, 
though  the  vehicle  could  have  been  handled  very 
easily  by  four  on  the  prairie,  or  on  an  ordinary  road ; 
but  I  wished  to  provide  for  emergencies,  as  well  as 
to  make  it  easy  work  for  the  animals. 

The  boys  were  already  mounted,  and  their  spirited 
steeds  were  dancing  about  the  door-yard,  almost  as 
impatient  as  their  masters.  Hal  wanted  to  know  how 
64 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  65 

long  it  would  be  before  we  were  in  Chihuahua. 
Doubtless  Juanita  was  in  his  mind,  as  she  was  in  his 
heart,  all  the  time,  and  he  supposed  tkatjvve  were 
going  to  the  residence  of  her  father  as  fast  as  we 
could  go.  But  I  had  not  taken  the  pains  to  deceive 
him,  even  if  I  had  been  Avilling  to  do  such  a  tiling. 

O  O 

Wre  went  in  search  of  the  lost  silver  mines  of 
Arizona,  near  the  Apache's  Pass.  The  boys  were 
"  The  Young  Silver  Seekers,"  though  Hal  seemed  to 
think  he  was  going  to  visit  the  pretty  daughter  of 
Signor  Don  Ramon  Ortiz.  I  told  him  it  would  be 
months  before  we  reached  Chihuahua,  if  we  succeeded 
in  getting  there  at  all. 

Hal  looked  very  glum,  indeed,  at  this  answer.  He 
had  been  as  pleasant  as  a  squash  pie  since  his  return 
from  his  hunting  expedition,  and  I  was  afraid  that  he 
would  get  "riled"  again,  and  make  himself  and  his 
companion  very  uncomfortable.  But  he  choked  down 
whatever  emotion  he  felt  and  behaved  reasonably 
well. 

"  Here  comes  Ben  Cavendish  on  Giant ! "  ex 
claimed  Ned. 

"  How  does  the  beast  behave  ? 

tr  He  moves  and  dances  about  as  though  he  was 
proud  of  his  rider,"  replied  Ned.  "  Giant  remembers 
all  that  he  learned  yesterday." 

"If  he  is  broken,  he  is  worth  any  two  other  horses 
on  the  ranch.  Ben  is  certainly  a  first-class  horse- 
tamer  if  he  has  brought  Giant  into  subjection." 

Ben  rode  up  to  the  caravel  and  reported  that  he 


66  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

was  ready  for  duty.  He  had  hardly  done  so  before 
Jacob  came  up  with  half  a  dozen  others.  Cross- 
grain  had  tried  once  to  throw  his  rider  that  morning, 
but  a  single  application  of  the  discipline  of  the  day 
before  reduced  him  to  submission.  In  a  few  minutes 
more  all  the  party  had  gathered  in  the  door-yard,  near 
the  caravel. 

Our  force  consisted  of  eleven  men  and  two  boys  (I 
did  not  care  to  make  this  division  in  the  hearing  of 
Hal),  and  twelve  peons  and  vaqueros.  The  latter 
were  all  Mexicans,  not  the  equals  of  the  hunters  I 
had  engaged,  but  were  very  serviceable  men.  They 
were  all  provided  with  guns,  and  I  had  a  dozen 
Sharpe's  rifles  and  as  many  revolvers,  which  could  be 
served  out  in  case  it  should  become  expedient  to  do  so. 

There  were  only  four  peons,  or  domesticated 
Indians,  who  were  to  serve  merely  as  laborers. 
They  were  not  fighting  Indians ;  at  least  we  had 
never  employed  them  in  this  way.  We  had  thirty- 
five  horses,  for  every  man  was  mounted  except  the 
two  men  who  were  to  act  as  drivers  of  the  caravel 
team. 

I  mounted  my  horse,  which  was  nearly  as  large  as 
Giant,  for  I  felt  that  a  powerful  animal  was  needed  to 
carry  a  man  weighing  nearly  two  hundred  pounds. 
At  my  request  Ned  Brown  sounded  a  bugle  call  on  a 
small  horn  I  had  provided  for  him.  The  entire 
party  gathered  around  me,  and  I  made  a  little  speech 
to  them. 

I  informed  them  that  Sile  Carter  was  my  lieutenant 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  67 

and  second  in  command  of  the  expedition.  He  must 
be  respected  and  obeyed  accordingly.  I  laid  down 
my  views  of  discipline.  I  had  fitted  out  the  party, 
should  pay  their  wages,  and  the  results  of  the  enter 
prise,  whatever  they  might  be,  belonged  to  me.  If 
we  found  a  gold  mine  it  was  mine  and  not  theirs, 
though  if  they  wanted  to  take  a  hand  in  working  it 
they  should  be  liberally  dealt  with.  No  one  objected 
to  this  proposition,  as  I  feared  some  might,  and  I 
was  prepared  to  argue  the  question  with  them  if  they 
did. 

Lieutenant  Sile  Carter  was  directed  to  lead  the 
party,  and  he  rode  out  of  the  door-yard,  followed  by 
the  hunters.  The  caravel  was  to  come  after  them, 
and  the  vaqueros  were  to  bring  up  the  rear.  Hal 
arid  Ned  were  to  act  as  my  aids,  and  we  were  to 
take  any  position  that  suited  our  fancy. 

I  shook  hands  with  Captain  Wilkinson,  an  old 
friend  of  mine  who  was  to  take  charge  of  Buena 
Vista  ranch  during  my  absence,  and  followed  the 
caravel  out  of  the  premises.  The  two  drivers  rode 
on  the  horses,  one  being  mounted  on  the  nigh  leader, 
and  the  other  on  the  nigh  wheel-horse.  The  vaqueros 
brought  up  the  rear,  as  laid  down  in  the  order  of 
march. 

I  was  curious  to  know  how  the  caravel  would  work 
when  in  motion,  and  I  rode  by  its  side.  The  broad 
wheels  hardly  made  any  impression  upon  the  earth, 
and  it  rolled  along  as  easily  as  though  it  had  been  a 
car  on  a  railroad.  It  was  heavily  loaded,  but  the 


68  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

dozen  horses  hardly  straightened  their  backs  in  start 
ing  it,  and  were  disposed  to  be  as  antic  as  the  saddle- 
horses  in  the  lightness  of  the  work  imposed  upon  them. 

The  first  point  to  be  reached  was  Fort  Yuma,  and 
I  called  the  distance  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 
We  had  been  over  the  route  before,  and  there  was 
no  novelty  in  it  to  us.  The  first  part  of  the  journey 
was  through  a  beautiful  country ;  but  in  three  days 
we  struck  the  arid,  desert,  and  the  travelling  was  very 
monotonous  and  wearying.  In  our  former  trip  we 
had  nearly  perished  for  the  want  of  water ;  and  we 
could  only  carry  enough  in  the  caravel  for  the  men, 
and  the  horses  had  to  take  their  chances. 

The  recent  rains,  which  were  not  likely  to  be  re 
peated  for  months  to  come,  had  filled  some  streams 
usually  dry,  and  we  got  along  without  any  real 
suffering  on  the  part  of  the  animals.  Our  stock  was 
in  such  excellent  condition  that  we  pushed  forward 
again  with  great  speed  for  such  a  party,  and  reached 
Fort  Yuma  in  a  little  less  than  six  days.  Here  we 
crossed  the  Colorado  river. 

The  water  was  high  at  this  season  of  the  year, 
being  thirteen  feet  deep,  so  that  the  sand-bars  were 
covered.  It  was  about  four  feet  at  low  water,  and 
it  was  hardly  practicable  to  ford  it  on  wheels  at  any 
season.  The  current  was  swift  and  the  river  wide. 
The  caravel  was  to  prove  now  whether  it  was  good 
for  anything  or  not.  The  only  thing  I  feared  was 
that  the  current  would  render  it  unmanageable. 

We  found  an  incline  down  to  the  water  at  some 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  69 

distance  from  the  fort,  which  is  situated  on  a  high 
bank.  One-half  of  the  bacon  and  other  heavy  articles 
were  taken  out  of  the  caravel  at  the  edge  of  the 
river,  and  we  soon  put  the  craft  into  the  stream.  I 
was  rather  appalled  at  the  swiftness  of  the  river  from 
this  point  of  view ;  but  there  was  no  such  thing  as 
retreating  from  the  position. 

The  caravel  was  now  on  trial  for  its  very  existence, 
for  I  had  no  intention  of  dragging  it  a  thousand 
miles  or  more  if  it  did  not  answer  the  purposes  for 
which  it  had  been  constructed.  It  sat  on  the  water 
as  though  it  had  been  built  for  a  sea-going  vessel.  I 
found  it  would  support  all  our  bacon  and  lead,  and 
they  were  restored  to  their  place. 

We  had  rope  enough  to  reach  across  the  river,  but 
it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  get  such  a  long  line 
to  the  other  side.  Of  course  the  men  and  the  horses 
had  to  cross  on  their  own  hook,  and  I  decided  to 
make  the  hunters  who  were  to  go  over  first  carry 
it  with  them.  They  were  to  keep  hold  of  it  as  they 
swam  their  horses,  and  it  would  assist  in  keeping 
them  together. 

"I  don't  think  these  trappers  and  backwoodsmen 
know  much  about  boats,  Ned,  and  you  shall  go  over 
with  Sile  Carter." 

"All  right,  judge,"  replied  the  boy,  glad  to  have  a 
responsible  position,  "  I  don't  see  any  difficulty  at  all 
in  the  undertaking  if  it  is  well  managed." 

"I  am  afraid  it  will  not  be  well  managed  on  the 
other  side." 


70  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"The  boat  will  be  all  right  as  long  as  the  rope 
don't  break  ;  and  I  am  only  afraid  the  current  and  the 
men  will  be  too  much  for  it." 

"Look  out  for  the  men,  and  I  will  risk  the 
current." 

Ned  was  a  little  inclined  to  give  us  a  lecture  on 
physics,  and  I  was  obliged  to  cut  him  off.  I  arranged 
twelve  of  the  men  on  the  slant  of  the  shore,  and 
placed  the  rope  in  position  to  be  run  out.  Each  one 
took  hold  of  it,  and  rode  into  the  water.  The  horses 
were  used  to  this  sort  of  thing,  and  made  no  objec 
tion.  Ned  brought  up  the  rear  so  that  he  could  see 
the  whole  of  the  line  ahead  of  him. 

I  had  indicated  the  point  Sile  was  to  strike  out  for 
on  the  other  side ;  and  of  course  it  was  considerably 
below  the  one  where  they  started.  In  spite  of  the 
current  Sile  and  his  followers  made  a  good  showing, 
and  the  enterprise  looked  very  hopeful.  When  the 
advance  were  about  half  way  across,  the  vaquero  I 
had  left  to  watch  the  horses  of  the  remaining  party 
sounded  an  alarm. 

I  sent  Hal  to  ascertain  what  the  difficulty  was.  I 
knew  there  was  no  end  of  Indians  on  the  river  ;  but  I 
had  not  thought  of  such  a  thing  as  an  attack  so  near 
a  garrisoned  fort.  Besides  the  natives  were  not  very 
warlike,  though  they  would  fight.  I  watched  the 
progress  of  the  riders  in  the  water  with  more  interest 
than  I  waited  for  the  report  of  Hal. 

Sile  was  making  tolerable  headway  through  the 
water,  for  the  horses  were  strong  and  in  excellent 


THE    YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  71 

condition.  The  rope  enabled  them  to  keep  in  about 
the  same  order  as  when  they  had  started.  It  com 
bined  the  united  strength  of  the  men  and  the  horses, 
and  no  one  could  fall  out. 

"Indians !"  yelled  Hal,  dashing  down  to  the  river 
on  his  horse. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HAL'S  RETURN.  — A  VERY  MEAGRE  REPORT.  —  TROUBLE  ON 
TWO  SIDES.  —  HAL  AND  HIS  TARTY.  —  WATCHING  THE 
SWIMMERS.  —  A  DOUBLE  ANXIETY.  —  ON  THE  TOP  OF  THE 
KNOLL.  —  CERTAIN  SOUNDS.  —  A  CONVENIENT  TREE.  —  AN 
APPROACHING  FOE. —SUGGESTIONS  OF  STRATEGY. — 

WHERE     is    HAL'S    PARTY  ?  —  A    SUCCESSFUL    PLAN.  — 

ANOTHER  ENEMY. — TWO   SHOTS. 

T  WAS  startled  at  the  cry  of  Hal,  as  he  reported 
-*-  upon  his  mission.  I  was  vexed  to  be  called  away 
from  the  interesting  duty  in  which  I  was  engaged. 
But  the  loss  of  two  dozen  horses  at  this  stage  of  the 
enterprise  would  have  been  fatal  to  the  undertaking ; 
and  I  feared  nothing  worse  than  this. 

We  had  twenty-one  horses  on  our  side  of  the  river, 
which  had  been  picketed  not  far  from  the  stream. 
All  the  draught-horses,  which  I  had  selected  with 
great  care,  were  among  them,  and  I  could  not  think 
of  such  a  thing  as  letting  the  Indians  stampede  them. 

'f  How  many  Indians  are  there  in  the  party,  Hal  ?  " 
I  asked,  as  the  young  man  dashed  down  to  the  spot 
where  I  stood. 

"I  don't  know  ;  I  didn't  see  them,  and  Pedro  was 
no  wiser  than  I  was,"  replied  Hal,  who  was  con 
siderably  excited. 
72 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  73 

w  Are  they  approaching  the  horses  ?  " 

"  Pedro  said  there  were  Indians  flying  about  near 
the  horses,  and  he  was  sure  they  meant  to  steal 
them.  I  will  go  baek  and  report  if  they  come  any 
nearer." 

"  Take  Ben  Cavendish  and  five  of  the  hunters  with 
you,"  I  added. 

I  was  not  quite  willing  to  lose  sight  of  the  caravel, 
as  I  must  if  I  attempted  to  see  what  the  Indians  were 
about,  and  Hal  was  generally  too  rash  to  be  trusted 
alone.  But  I  thought  the  boy  would  do  very  well 
with  Ben.  I  detailed  the  men,  and  Hal  rode  off 
leading  the  way  for  the  men  on  foot. 

I  concluded  that  the  savages  were  Yumas,  and  I 
thought  they  would  run  away  as  soon  as  they  saw  a 
few  armed  men.  The  horsemen  were  making  but 
slow  progress  in  the  river,  for  they  were  now  battling 
with  the  strongest  current.  They  kept  together,  and 
I  saw  that  the  rope  was  a  help  rather  than  a  hinder- 
ance  to  them. 

I  felt  very  anxious  about  the  horses  behind  me,  and 
no  little  solicitude  in  regard  to  the  success  of  my 
river  operations.  If  I  lost  the  horses  I  should  not 
care  to  send  the  caravel  across.  The  worst  that  was 
likely  to  happen  to  the  men  was  that  some  of 
them  might  be  carried  down  the  river  farther  than 
they  intended ;  but  this  was  not  likely  to  happen  as 
long  as  they  clung  to  the  rope,  which  I  saw  was  a 
great  help  to  some  of  the  men. 

My  anxiety  was  so  great  in  regard  to  the  horses 


74  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

and  the  men  I  had  sent  to  the  rear,  that  I  walked  up 
the  bank  where  I  could  find  a  position  that  would 
enable  me  to  see  the  operations  of  both  parties. 
When  I  reached  the  highest  ground  near  the  stream, 
I  could  see  the  men  in  the  river,  but  not  the  party 
with  Hal.  I  walked  to  another  knoll  near  the  first, 
but  still  I  could  not  see  Hal's  party.  The  horses  had 
been  left  in  a  little  valley,  where  the  grass  was  very 
luxuriant,  and  they  could  get  a  good  feed  within  the 
length  of  their  halters . 

It  looked  as  though  Hal  had  taken  the  men  to  the 
other  side  of  the  horse-camp,  expecting  to  find  the 
foe,  if  any,  on  that  side  of  the  valley.  They  were  as 
likely  to  be  on  that  side  as  the  other.  I  was  straining 
my  eyes  and  ears  to  discover  where  my  party  were 
when  I  detected  a  slight  noise  in  the  brush  near 
where  I  stood. 

I  dropped  in  behind  a  big  tree  near  me,  and 
listened  again.  In  a  few  minutes  I  was  satisfied  that 
there  was  a  movement  nearer,  though  I  could  not  tell 
whether  it  was  made  by  our  own  men  or  the  Indians. 
I  ceased  to  look  at  the  party  struggling  in  the  river 
against  the  current,  for  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  was 
nearer  an  adventure  than  those  in  the  water  or  those 
I  had  just  sent  back. 

In  three  minutes  more  I  was  certain  that  the 
Indians  whose  presence  had  been  reported  were 
ascending  the  knoll  upon  which  I  stood.  I  had  my 
double-barrelled  gun  in  my  hand,  for  it  was  second 
nature  with  me  to  carry  it  if  I  did  not  go  a  rod  from 


THE    YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  75 

the  main  body.  But  I  could  not  have  done  a  worse 
thing  than  to  use  it  just  then. 

The  tree  was  large  enough  to  conceal  my  whole 
body  from  the  approaching  foe,  but  I  dared  not  look 
out  to  see  what  the  enemy  were  doing  lest  an  arrow 
should  penetrate  my  face.  I  could  see  nothing,  hear 
nothing  of  Hal's  party.  I  could  only  hope  he  had 
put  his  men  in  position  to  repel  the  Indians  when 
they  made  a  swoop  down  upon  the  horses. 

The  tree  behind  which  I  had  taken  refuge  had  a 
short,  big  trunk,  from  which  the  branches  began  to 
spread  out  at  a  point  a  little  higher  than  my  head. 
The  butt  of  the  tree  was  rotten  and  hollow,  and  I 
found  a  hole  about  on  a  level  with  my  knees.  Get 
ting  hold  of  a  branch,  I  put  one  of  iny  feet  in  the 
opening,  and  lifted  myself  up  where  I  could  see 
through  the  branches. 

I  had  hardly  secured  this  position  before  an  Indian 
came  to  the  summit  of  the  mound  alone.  He  crept 
up  with  the  utmost  caution,  and  took  a  careful  survey 
of  the  valley  where  the  horses  were.  He  put  his 
head  to  the  ground  and  listened  for  some  time ;  but 
his  ears  appeared  to  be  no  better  than  mine,  and  he 
heard  nothing. 

Then  I  saw  him  retreat  to  a  place  at  the  side  of  the 
knoll,  and  beckon  to  his  companions.  In  a  few  min 
utes  I  saw  about  twenty  men  mounting  the  hill.  I 
could  see  no  more,  but  I  was  confident  these  were 
not  all  of  the  party.  It  was  evident  to  me  now  that 
they  intended  to  make  the  raid  upon  the  horses  from 


76  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

this  point.  Doubtless  they  had  displayed  some 
strategy  in  the  advance,  and  had  shown  themselves, 
if  at  all,  on  the  other  side  of  the  valley.  If  Hal's 
party  had  shown  themselves  at  all  to  the  savages,  it 
was  probably  in  that  quarter.  While  any  pursuers 
were  looking  for  them  in  that  direction  they  would 
make  the  attack  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley. 

I  was  not  particularly  pleased  with  my  position  at 
that  moment.  I  was  bottled  up  where  I  was,  and 
"  my  business  was  such  that  I  could  not  leave."  The 
savages  would  swoop  down  upon  the  horses,  and 
would  mount  them  and  ride  off'.  What  could  I  do  ? 
This  was  the  question  I  anxiously  asked  myself. 
The  Indians  had  not  seen  me,  and  I  was  happy  in 
having  stolen  a  march  upon  them.  The  braves  were 
coming  up  the  hill  in  a  stealthy  manner ;  and  if  any 
one  of  them  took  a  notion  to  walk  over  to  my  side  of 
the  summit  he  would  see  me.  If  I  got  up  into  the 
tree,  they  might  find  my  tracks,  and  trace  me  to  my 
hiding-place. 

These  horse-stealers  had  all  gathered  on  the  top  of 
the  hill,  and  were  preparing  to  descend  on  the  other 
side  as  soon  as  they  could  satisfy  themselves  that  no 
white  man  was  near. 

My  knowledge  of  these  particular  Indians  was  very 
slight ;  but  after  I  had  considered  the  situation  for  a 
long  time,  I  concluded  that  I  must  do  one  of  two 
things  :  I  must  allow  the  Indians  to  make  an  on 
slaught  upon  the  horses,  or  I  must  expose  myself  to 
discovery,  and  death  from  an  arrow,  by  some  bold 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKEES.  7? 

stroke.  The  enemy  had  no  firearms,  and  were  not 
familiar  with  their  use.  I  could  bring  down  two  of 
them ;  and  that  might  be  enough  to  scatter  them. 

But  it  seemed  to  me  to  be  something  like  murder 
in  cold  blood  to  shoot  down  one  of  them  wantonly. 
So  far,  the  worst  that  could  be  said  of  them  was  that 
they  intended  to  steal  our  horses.  I  was  not  even 
sure  they  would  fight  in  order  to  obtain  them. 

If  I  fired  and  then  ran,  my  retreat  would  be 
followed  up  by  a  flight  of  arrows.  I  did  not  want  to 
be  hit  with  an  arrow ;  I  preferred  to  be  wounded 
with  a  knife  or  a  bullet.  It  was  not  prudent  to  run, 
and  I  decided  not  to  do  so  until  the  circumstances 
were  changed.  I  decided  to  fire,  hoping  the  thieves 
would  take  the  alarm  and  beat  a  retreat.  The  rest 
of  my  programme  was  to  be  arranged  on  the  spur  of 
the  moment. 

I  had  cocked  my  gun  when  I  saw  the  first  savage. 
I  raised  it  and  fired.  I  was  standing  with  my  foot  in 
the  hole  of  the  tree  when  I  did  so.  My  gun  had  a 
habit  of  speaking  out  loud  when  it  spoke  at  all,  and  it 
made  almost  as  much  noise  as  a  howitzer.  I  looked 
eagerly  at  the  party  of  redskins  to  ascertain  the  effect 
of  my  experiment. 

The  Indians,  who  were  all  crawling  on  the  ground 
when  I  fired,  so  as  not  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
owners  of  the  horses  they  were  after,  all  sprang  to 
their  feet  as  though  they  had  been  but  one  animal. 
They  looked  about  them.  The  smoke  of  my  powder 
was  wafted  by  the  wind  towards  them.  If  they  had 


78  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

been  startled  by  the  report  of  the  gun,  they  were 
alarmed  at  the  smoke.  They  fled  before  it  as  though 
it  had  been  the  embodied  form  of  a  pestilence  with 
death  on  its  wings. 

They  retreated  in  the  direction  in  which  they  had 
come ;  and  as  I  was  not  in  condition  to  meet  them,  I 
did  not  care  to  check  the  movement.  I  remained 
where  I  was,  hoping  Hal's  party  would  hear  the  re 
port  of  the  gun  and  look  in  the  right  direction  for  the 
enemy.  I  watched  the  retiring  squad  until  the  last 
man  had  disappeared.  I  was  still  watching  to  make 
sure  that  they  did  not  return,  when  I  heard  a  rattling 
noise  on  the  ground  near  my  feet. 

The  sound  was  very  distinct  in  the  silence  of  the 
region.  I  heard  it  repeated  before  I  took  much 
notice  of  it,  and  when  I  looked  down  I  discovered  a 
rattlesnake  about  four  feet  long.  He  was  an  ugly 
looking  villain,  and  I  regarded  him  as  worse  to  en 
counter  than  the  squad  of  Indians  which  had  just  run 
away  before  a  cloud  of  smoke.  He  was  coiled  up, 
ready  to  make  a  start  for  my  leg.  I  had  an  idea  that 
he  had  made  one  leap  at  me  and  had  not  aimed  high 
enough.  It  did  not  take  me  long  after  I  saw  the 

o  o 

reptile  to  leap  up  into  a  tree  and  haul  my  legs  after  me. 
I  concluded  that  this  venomous  snake  had  made  his 
home  in  the  hollow  of  the  tree,  and  that  he  was  not 
pleased  to  find  me  in  possession  when  he  came  in 
after  his  search  for  food.  I  forgot  all  about  the 
Indians,  for  the  time,  for  they  were  the  less  dangerous 
of  the  two.  As  soon  as  I  had  taken  myself  out  of  the 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  79 

reach  of  the  villain,  he  began  to  cool  off,  but  he  did 
not  indicate  any  intention  either  to  clear  out  or  to  get 
into  his  nest  inside  the  tree. 

As  the  matter  stood  just  then,  I  was  treed  —  as 
effectually  bottled  up  as  I  had  been  by  the  Indians. 
While  I  was  kept  a  prisoner  here,  the  Yumas  might 
approach  the  horses  in  another  direction  and  stampede 
them,  for  I  could  neither  see  nor  hear  anything  of  the 
party  I  had  sent  out.  I  looked  at  the  snake  again ; 
and  he  seemed  as  powerful  as  an  army. 

"This  won't  do,  Mr.  Cro talus,"  I  said  to  myself. 
"You  are  worse  than  a  squad  of  Indians,  but  I  can't 
wait  your  motions  any  longer." 

I  took  careful  aim  at  him  and  fired.  My  gun 
was  loaded  with  a  ball,  and  if  I  had  been  as  good  a 
shot  as  Sile  Carter,  I  should  have  been  sure  of  him. 
I  fired  at  his  head ;  and  as  soon  as  the  smoke  rolled 
away,  I  saw  his  snakeship  wriggling  about  the  ground 
at  the  foot  of  the  tree.  He  was  not  dead  ;  and  both 
of  my  barrels  were  empty.  It  was  not  safe  to  go 
near  that  snake  yet. 

The  surgeon  connected  with  one  of  the  United 
States  exploring  expeditions  struck  at,  and,  as  he  sup 
posed,  killed  a  smaller  snake  than  this  one.  He 
wished  to  retain  it  as  a  specimen,  and  grasped  it 
around  the  neck.  But  he  took  too  long  a  hold,  and 
the  reptile  doubled  upon  him  and  bit  him  in  one  of 
his  fingers.  By  his  own  skill  he  cured  himself,  but 
he  had  a  rough  time  in  getting  well. 

I  loaded  both  barrels  and  fired  again. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

RATTLESNAKES  IN  GENERAL.  —  ON  THE  TRAIL.  —  THE  SINGLE 
RIDER. —  HAL  IN  AN  INDIGNANT  MOOD.— IN  COMMAND 
OF  A  TARTY.  —  A  BAND  OF  DISOBEDIENT  FOLLOWERS.  — 
THE  MOUNTED  INDIAN  IN  THE  WOODS.  —  THE  DIS 
GRUNTLED  COMMANDER.  —  PEDRO  AT  THE  HORSE-CAMP. — 
WHAT  BECAME  OF  GREASER.  —  SEVERAL  SHOTS. 

IF  the  retreating  band  of  Indians  heard  the  report  of 
the  two  shots  I  fired,  doubtless  they  were  an  ad 
ditional  stimulus  to  their  flight.  I  was  not  thinking 
of  them  just  then.  The  wind  blew  the  smoke  away, 
and  this  time  the  bullet  from  my  gun  had  mashed  the 
head  of  the  rattlesnake.  He  did  not  move  again. 

Where  there  is  one  snake  there  may  be  another. 
I  looked  carefully  about  the  tree  without  seeing  any 
more.  For  aught  I  knew,  the  hole  in  the  tree  might 
be  filled  with  them  ;  and  it  was  possible  that  some  of 
them  had  struck  at  the  thick,  long  boots  I  wore.  I 
loaded  both  barrels  of  my  gun  again,  and  after  sur 
veying  the  ground,  I  leaped  down  from  my  perch. 
It  was  expedient  to  give  that  hole  a  wide  berth,  and  I 
kept  as  far  from  it  as  possible. 

I  saw  no  more  snakes  of  any  kind  in  that  locality. 
I  had  no  undue  fear  of  venomous  reptiles,  though  I 
80 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  81 

had  always  kept  as  far  from  them  as  possible.  We 
used  to  speak  of  them  with  contempt,  but  I  was 
always  disposed  to  treat  them  with  respect.  The 
wonder  to  me  is  that  in  all  my  wanderings  so  far  I 
had  not  known  a  single  person  to  be  fatally  bitten  by 
a  rattlesnake,  though  of  course  I  had  heard  of  many 
such  instances. 

That  rattlesnake  made  an  impression  upon  my  mind 
when  I  considered  that  I  might  have  been  bitten 
while  I  was  watching  the  Indians.  I  could  not  help 
looking  out  for  more  of  the  reptiles  as  I  walked  down 
the -hill,  and  ascended  the  other  knoll.  But  I  saw  no 
more  of  them  at  that  time,  and  I  soon  forgot  all 
about  the  matter  in  more  exciting  scenes. 

When  I  reached  the  top  of  the  other  hill,  I  took  a 
careful  survey  of  the  region  around  me.  I  could  not 
see  or  hear  anything  of  the  party  I  had  sent  out.  I 
was  prudent  enough  to  keep  a  tree  between  me  and 
the  side  on  which  the  savages  had  retreated.  I  could 
not  make  out  in  what  direction  they  had  gone  Avhen 
they  reached  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

But  I  did  not  conclude  that  they  had  given  up  the 
attempt  to  steal  the  horses.  I  knew  that,  when  they 
found  they  were  not  pursued,  they  would  make  the 
approach  in  another  direction.  I  did  not  care  to 
meet  them  alone,  for  when  they  found  they  were  not 
hurt  by  the  gun,  they  might  have  less  respect  for  it. 

I  descended  the  hill  and  came  to  the  trail  by  which 
my  party  had  reached  the  river,  and  by  which  Hal 
must  have  returned  Avith  the  party  I  sent  with  him. 


82  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

« 

All  was  silent  save  the  distant  murmuring  of  the  cur 
rent  of  the  great  river,  and  the  rustling  in  the  wind 
of  the  leaves  on  the  trees.  I  stopped  and  listened  as 
I  moved  towards  the  valley  where  the  horses  had 
been  left. 

On  the  hill  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  swimmers  in 
the  river.  They  had  evidently  passed  out  of  the 
strongest  current,  and  were  approaching  the  shore  on 
the  other  side.  In  a  few  minutes  more  they  would 
effect  a  landing.  But  they  could  wait  on  the  other 
side  until  we  had  disposed  of  the  Indians.  As  I 
walked  along  the  trail  I  paused  frequently  to  listen. 
I  had  acquired  some  Indian-craft  in  my  wanderings 
among  the  natives. 

When  I  was  about  half-way  between  the  caravel 
and  the  horse-camp,  I  heard  the  clatter  of  horse's  feet 
ahead  of  me.  I  stepped  aside  into  the  brush,  for  I 
desired  to  see  before  I  was  seen.  The  sound  was 
made  by  a  single  horse,  and  I  wanted  to  know 
whether  it  was  a  wild  Indian  or  one  of  my  own  party 
before  I  showed  myself. 

When  the  rider  was  within  ten  rods  of  me  I  saw 
that  it  was  Hal.  He  had  been  sent  out  as  the 
commander-in-chief  of  the  party ;  or  rather  I  had 
allowed  him  to  believe  that  was  his  rank,  without 
defining  his  powers  and  duties.  He  rode  as  though 
he  was  mad.  As  soon  as  I  saw  who  it  was  I  stepped 
out  into  the  trail,  and  Hal  began  to  rein  in  as  soon  as 
he  discovered  me. 

"Are  you  running  away  from  a  fight,  Hal?" 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  83 

But  I  did  not  believe  this  was  the  case.  The 
direction  he  came  indicated  that  he  had  not  been 
near  the  Indians.  They  could  not  have  got  around  to 
this  side  of  the  valley  in  the  time  since  I  last  saw 
them.  As  I  had  suspected  from  the  first,  Hal  was 
as  mad  as  though  he  had  just  come  out  of  a  hornet's 
nest. 

"The  fight  was  all  among  ourselves,"  replied  Hal, 
in  a  growling  tone,  as  though  he  regarded  himself  as 
a  much-injured  young  man. 

"  Among  yourselves  !  " 

I  was  astonished  at  his  answer ;  and  I  concluded 
that  he  had  been  "putting  on  airs,"  and  that  the 
hunters  would  not  stand  it. 

"Yes,  judge,  among  ourselves,"  added  Hal,  bitterly. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that !  Don't  be  all  day  in 
telling  your  story  for  there  are  Indians  about  here ; 
and  they  want  horses,  as  they  always  do  when  they 
can  steal  them." 

"  You  sent  me  out  in  command  of  the  party,  and  I 
tried  to  do  the  best  1  could,"  said  Hal ;  and  then 
stopped  and  looked  at  me  as  though  he  expected  me 
to  add  something  to  what  he  had  said. 

I  saw  that  he  wished  me  to  confirm  his  statement, 
that  he  was  in  command  of  the  party  ;  but  I  did  not 
deem  it  necessary  to  do  so.  I  had  told  him  to  go  with 
half  a  dozen  men  and  attend  to  the  Indians ;  but  I 
had  not  definitely  given  him  the  command  of  the  little 
party  ;  and  I  had  not  told  Ben  Cavendish  to  obey  his 
orders. 


84  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"When  we  heard  what  Pedro  had  said  about  the 
Indians,  and  the  direction  in  which  he  had  heard 
them,  I  ordered  the  men  to  follow  me.  I  started  to 
go  in  the  direction  in  which  the  noise  had  been 
heard  ;  but  the  men  did  not  follow  me." 

"You  ordered  the  men  to  follow,  and  they  did 
not?" 

I  repeated  what  Hal  said  when  he  paused,  evi 
dently  desiring  me  to  sympathize  with  him,  and 
condemn  the  rest  of  the  party.  I  was  non-committal 
on  the  subject. 

"  In  other  words,  they  would  not  obey  my  order," 
continued  Hal,  deeply  wounded  in  his  pride  and 
dignity. 

"  Go  on,  Hal ;  don't  take  the  rest  of  the  day  to  tell 
your  story.  If  you  do  I  can't  wait  to  hear  it." 

"I  rode  back  to  them,  and  repeated  my  order.  I 
told  them  to  follow  me.  Instead  of  doing  it,  they 
walked  away  towards  the  two  little  hills,"  he  con 
tinued,  pointing  to  the  two  knolls  I  had  ascended. 
"  Then  I  told  them  I  was  in  command  of  the  party, 
and  they  must  follow  me ; "  and  Hal  began  to  be  as 
wrathy  as  doubtless  he  was  when  his  command  was 
not  heeded. 

At  this  point  he  paused  again  for  my  approval.  I 
did  not  gratify  him,  for  I  did  not  like  to  countenance 
him  in  putting  on  airs  to  his  elders.  He  might  have 
commanded  the  party  —  of  six  besides  himself  — 
and  had  no  trouble  with  them,  if  he  had  been  tol 
erably  modest  about  it,  as  Ned  would  have  been  in 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  85 

the,  same  position.  The  veterans  of  hundreds  of 
Indian  fights  did  not  take  kindly  to  his  overbearing 
manner.  If  he  had  consulted  with  Ben  Cavendish  as 
to  what  it  was  best  to  do,  the  Kentuckian  would 
have  advised  him  first  and  obeyed  him  afterwards. 
We  were  not  exactly  under  army  discipline,  and  I  did 
not  care  to  govern  my  party  in  just  that  way. 

"I  told  them  to  halt  where  they  were,"  Hal 
proceeded.  "  They  wouldn't  even  halt  and  hear  what 
I  had  to  say.  They  walked  off  in  just  the  opposite 
direction  from  which  Pedro  had  heard  the  Indians." 

"I  wonder  I  didn't  see  or  hear  from  them,"  I 
replied,  quietly.  "I  have  just  come  from  the  two 
hills,  and  saw  the  Indians  in  that  direction." 

"Saw  them  over  there  !"  exclaimed  Hal,  bothered, 
as  he  pointed  in  the  direction  of  the  hills. 

"You  did  not  go  with  them?" 

"Of  course  I  didn't  go  with  them  after  they  declined 
to  obey  orders.  I  told  them  over  and  over  again  that 
the  Indians  were  in  the  other  direction ;  but  Ben 
Cavendish  wanted  to  argue  the  matter  with  me.  Of 
course  I  wasn't  going  to  argue  the  question  when  I 
was  in  command  of  the  party  I  "  added  Hal,  holding 
up  his  head  a  peg  higher.  "I  think  I  know  how  to 
command  as  well  as  to  obey." 

"Well,  what  did  you  do  next?" 

"The  six  men  went  off  towards  the  two  hills  ;  and 
that  is  the  last  I  have  seen  or  heard  of  them.  I  rode 
off  in  the  direction  that  Pedro  said.  I  got  my  gun 
and  my  revolver  all  ready  for  service  ;  for  if  the  men 


86  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

wouldn't  stand  by  me,  I  was  ready  to  fight  the 
Indians  alone." 

"I  suppose  you  didn't  fight  them?" 

"  I  couldn't  find  them  ;  at  least  I  couldn't  find  but 
one ;  and  he  ran  so  fast  I  couldn't  catch  him  or  even 
get  near  enough  to  shoot  him.  He  was  on  horseback, 
and  the  animal  he  rode  looked  just  like  Greaser." 

Greaser  was  a  horse  I  had  formerly  used  a  great 
deal  myself,  which  was  now  ridden  by  one  of  the 
hunters.  It  was  very  likely  that  the  rider  Hal  saw 
had  been  left  on  this  side  of  the  horse-camp  to 
demonstrate  at  the  proper  time,  and  call  the  party 
sent  by  me  in  that  direction,  when  they  intended  to 
stampede  the  animals  the  other  side  of  the  valley. 

"I  want  you  to  straighten  this  matter  out,  judge," 
continued  Hal,  with  damaged  dignity.  "  When  I  am 
sent  out  in  command  of  a  party  I  want  the  men  to 
stand  by  me.  If  you  don't  have  the  case  understood, 
I  shall  not  take  charge  of  another  party." 

"Don't  you  do  it,  Hal!" 

"  I  don't  want  even  a  silent  snub  ;  and  I  don't  want 
to  argue  any  question  with  my  men  when  I  give  an 
order,"  added  Hal. 

"  Now  we  will  return  to  the  horse-camp,  and  you 
must  show  me  which  way  the  men  went." 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  near  the  men  again  until  things 
are  set  right,"  protested  Hal.  "  When  I  give  an 
order,  I  don't  want  to  argue  the  question." 

I  resumed  my  walk  towards  the  horse-camp,  and 
Hal  followed  me. 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKEES, 


87 


"Do  you  think  the  horse  the  Indian  was  riding  was 
Greaser,  Hal." 

"  I  think  it  was,  judge,"  replied  Hal,  rather  groutily, 
for  the  impulsive  boy  always  insisted  that  I  should  re 
dress  his  grievances  immediately,  and  he  was  vexed 
that  I  did  not  give  him  even  a  crumb  of  comfort. 

I  found  Pedro  still  at  the  horse-camp,  looking  out 
for  the  animals.  I  think  he  was  a  pure  Spaniard, 
born  in  Mexico.  He  was  a  faithful  fellow,  and  I 
don't  think  he  would  have  run  away  while  the  horses 
were  in  sight  if  a  thousand  Indians  had  beset  him 
before  and  behind.  He  had  run  to  the  nearest  point 
to  the  river  to  give  the  alarm,  but  had  returned  to 
the  camp  at  once. 

"  Greaser  is  gone,  judge,"  said  he,  when  I  came  up 
to  him ;  and  he  seemed  to  be  in  great  distress  at  the 
loss  of  the  horse. 

"What  makes  you  think  he  has  gone,  Pedro?" 
"  There  were  only  twenty  horses  when  I  came  back 
from  the  river ;  I  looked  them  over  and  found  that 
Greaser  was  missing.     He  broke  his  rope,  I  found, 
and  I  suppose  he  went  into  the  woods." 

The  Indian  had  doubtless  caught  him,  and  because 
he  had  a  horse  he  was  probably  sent  over  to  the 
farther  side  of  the  camp.  I  was  not  willing  to  lose 
the  horse,  and  I  was  determined  to  reclaim  him  if  it 
took  a  week.  I  mounted  Wildcat,  as  my  present 
steed  was  called.  I  started  in  the  direction  our  men 
had  taken  ;  but  I  had  gone  but  a  short  distance  before 
I  heard  several  shots. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE    HUNTERS.  —  THE     INDIANS    IN    AN   OUTER  CIRCLE. — BEN 

CAVENDISH'S    CONTEMPT     FOR    THEM.  —  now    IT    WAS 

GOING  TO  BE. —THE  KENTUCKIAN'S  PLAN.  —  HAL  STILL 
DISGRUNTLED. —THE  QUAGMIRE  AND  THE  FLAT.  —  A 
NEW  POSITION. —  A  SIGHT  OF  THE  ENEMY.  —  HAL'S 
STRICTURES.  —  A  POINTED  REBUKE.  —  A  NOBLE  HORSE 
AND  A  DIGNIFIED  RIDER. 

TN  spite  of  what  he  had  said,  Hal  decided  to  go  with 
1  me,  and  he  became  quite  excited  when  he  heard 
the  firing.  Judging  from  the  direction  and  distance 
of  the  shots,  the  hunters  had  not  advanced  far  from 
the  horse-camp.  Undoubtedly  Ben  Cavendish  under 
stood  the  wiles  of  the  savages  better  than  Hal  Hyde. 
I  concluded  from  his  firing  that  he  had  found  the 
thieves. 

The  two  hills  I  had  ascended  were  on  my  left,  and 
the  camp  on  the  right.  Judging  from  the  place  where 
I  had  seen  the  Indians,  I  thought  they  had  made  a 
detour,  and  were  intending  to  strike  into  the  camp 
on  the  side  between  the  hills  and  the  wood,  where 
Hal  had  seen  the  single  horseman.  Ben  was  in  posi 
tion  to  intercept  them  in  whichever  way  they  came 
upon  their  expected  plunder. 
88 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  89 

After  ridino-  a  few  minutes  more  we  discovered  the 

& 

hunters.  They  were  moving  rapidly  to  the  north,  or 
away  from  the  two  hills.  I  soon  ascertained  that  the 
Indians  were  moving  in  the  same  direction,  but  at  a 
greater  distance  from  the  horse-camp. 

"Them  Injens  ain't  no  'count,"  said  Ben  Caven 
dish,  as  Hal  and  I  overtook  his  party,  for  by  general 
consent  he  seemed  to  be  the  leader. 

"  Where  arc  they  now  ?  " 

"  Jest  on  the  other  side  of  that  clump  of  bushes. 
One  man  is  enough  to  skeer  off  the  hull  crowd," 
added  Ben.  "You  kin  go  and  look  after  your  cara 
vel,  jedge,  and  take  the  rest  of  the  boys  with  you. 
I  kin  lick  the  whole  o'  thet  pack." 

"  I  have  met  them  once  before  to-day,  and  they  all 
ran  away  when  I  fired  my  gun." 

"  Thet's  jest  like  'em.  They'll  steal  the  bosses  and 
run ;  thet's  the  wust  on  'em.  But  an  old  woman 
could  manage  fifty  on  'em." 

"  They  have  got  one  of  our  best  horses,  and  I  want 
him  back  again,  if  possible." 

I  informed  Ben  in  what  manner  the  Indian  Hal  had 
seen  got  possession  of  Greaser. 

"I  reckon  we  kin  git  him  agin,"  replied  Ben. 
"  But  I  must  have  that  critter  o'  mine  ;  and  I  reckon 
none  on  ye  can  ketch  him  for  me.  I'll  go  arter  him. 
You  needn't  stop  here,  jedge,  ef  you  want  to  see  to 
your  boat." 

"  I  think  I  will  see  this  thing  through  before  I  go 
back  to  the  river." 


90  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"Well,  jedge,  I  kin  tell  you  jest  about  how  it's 
gwine  to  be.  Them  Injens  is  makin'  over  to  the 
north'ad:  and  the  one  on  the  critter  is  ridin'  over 
this  way.  Ef  you  take  the  boys  in  through  that  low 
ground,  you  will  hit  him  'twixt  the  main  body  on  'em 
and  the  hoss  camp.  Jest  keep  'em  thar,  and  when 
you  think  you  want  to  see  me,  I'll  be  thar,"  replied 
Ben,  as  he  hastened  off  in  the  direction  of  the  horse- 
camp. 

I  led  the  way  indicated  by  the  Kentuckian,  Hal 
keeping  at  my  side,  and  the  four  men  following  us. 
The  low  ground  was  a  little  valley  between  a  couple 
of  hills,  perhaps  a  mile  from  those  I  had  ascended. 
We  could  see  no  Indians. 

"  You  didn't  say  anything  to  Ben  Cavendish  about 
obeying  orders,"  said  Hal,  as  we  rode  into  the  valley. 

"I  have  nothing  to  say  about  it  at  present." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  let  it  pass  without  saying  any 
thing?"  asked  Hal,  who  did  not  seem  to  be  able  to 
get  over  the  disobedience  of  the  Kentuckian. 

"We  will  consider  that  another  time,  Hal." 

The  boy  bit  his  lip.  Possibly  he  thought  the  loss 
of  all  the  horses  was  a  less  calamity  than  the  wound 
ing  of  his  dignity.  I  continued  on  the  way  without 
saying  anything  more  about  his  grievance. 

"  What  were  you  firing  at,  Buck?" 

I  put  this  question  to  the  other  Kentuckian,  as  he 
came  up  to  the  side  of  my  horse. 

"We  hearn  a  noise,  and  we  thought  it  mought  be 
Injens ;  but  I  reckon  'twant  no  thin'  more'n  a  cata- 


THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  91 

mount,  or  some  sich  varmint,"  answered  Buck.  "  I 
reckon  we'd  better  hurry  up,  jedge,  for  I  reckon  I 
kin  smell  them  Injens." 

I  could  neither  see  nor  smell  them  ;  but  I  thought 
it  was  about  time  for  them  to  appear  in  this  direction, 
for  this  appeared  to  me  to  be  the  side  on  which  they 
would  attempt  to  make  the  dash  at  the  horse-camp, 
after  they  had  been  frightened  off  at  the  hills.  Off 
beyond  the  valley  was  a  considerable  sheet  of  water, 
which  was  surrounded  by  a  quagmire,  for  I  had 
noticed  it  when  we  came  through  in  the  morning. 
The  trail  we  had  followed  led  to  the  southward  of  it. 
For  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond  the  hills  the 
ground  was  smooth  and  hard. 

The  rascal  on  Greaser  must  cross  this  level  place  to 
join  his  companions,  or  they  must  do  so  to  join  him. 
I  was  afraid  they  would  get  by  before  we  could  reach 
the  spot  to  intercept  them.  I  was  confident  that  the 
Indian  horseman  had  not  yet  joined  his  companions. 
The  stolen  horse  was  only  to  be  recovered  by  keeping 
between  him  and  the  main  body. 

'  The  Indians  can't  be  far  from  us,  Buck." 

"  I  reckon  they  ain't.  We  staid  whar  we  were 
'case  we  could  step  in  between  'em  and  the  bosses, 
let  'em  come  in  any  way  they  liked,"  replied  Buck. 
n  You  driv  'em  off  them  hills,  and  they  will  come  this 
way,  sartin  shore." 

"But  they  will  get  away  from  us,  and  strike  in  on 
the  other  side  at  the  horses." 

"That's  so.     We  can't  be  in  two  places  to  onct, 


92  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

jcdge.  Ef  we  go  over  on  that  flat,  the  pesky  snakes 
will  creep  in  on  this  side.  Ef  we  stay  hyer,  we  can 
keep  'em  from  techin'  the  hosses." 

tr  But  we  want  to  keep  the  one  that  stole  the  horse 
from  joining  his  companions.  Hal  and  I  will  ride 
out  into  the  flat,  and  head  them  off  in  that  direction." 

"  That's  a  good  way  to  do  it,  jedge ;  thet's  Ben's 
way." 

I  did  not  care  so  much  as  Hal  whose  way  it  was  if 
it  only  enabled  us  to  effect  the  recapture  of  Greaser. 
I  told  Hal  to  follow  me,  and  rode  off  towards  the  flat. 
It  was  sandy  ground,  with  little  growing  upon  it,  so 
that  we  could  see  all  about  us,  and  unluckily  we 
could  be  seen  by  the  enemy  from  the  hills  and  the 
woods. 

I  knew  that  these  Indians  were  from  the  northward, 
and  that  they  would  retire  in  this  direction  when  they 
had  accomplished  or  failed  in  their  mission.  They 
had  evidently  come  down  for  a  fit-out  of  horses,  and 
when  they  had  obtained  them,  they  would  get  out  of 
the  way  with  all  possible  haste.  They  were  aware 
that  this  was  the  great  trail  for  parties  from  the  east 
ward,  bound  to  Southern  California ;  and  no  doubt 
they  had  stolen  many  horses  from  such  travellers. 

"  Of  course  the  Indians  will  not  come  out  while 
we  are  here,"  said  Hal,  as  I  halted  to  take  a  more 
leisurely  survey  of  the  ground. 

"I  don't  know  that  I  want  them  to  come  out." 

w  What  did  we  come  out  here  for,  then  ?  " 

K  Certainly  we  did  not  come  with  the  expectation 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  93 

that  the  savages  would  come  out  here.  All  we  desire 
to  do  just  now  is  to  prevent  the  mounted  Indian  from 
joining  his  companions,  and  to  prevent  the  main  body 
from  retreating  to  the  northward.  Don't  you  see  the 
plan  of  operations  ?  " 

"I  don't  think  there  is  much  plan  about  them," 
said  Hal,  rather  sourly. 

"  Did  you  hear  what  Ben  said  when  he  went  after 
his  horse  ?  " 

"I  didn't  want  to  hear  what  he  said,"  snapped 
Hal. 

"  All  right,  my  boy  ;  then  hold  your  tongue." 

"  I  thought  you  commanded  the  party ;  but  it 
seems  to  be  Ben  Cavendish,  after  all ;  and  I  don't 
wonder  he  wasn't  willing  to  obey  orders." 

"  Hush,  Hal !  You  are  in  bad  humor,  and  you  had 
better  ride  over  to  that  lagoon  and  soak  your  head  in 
cold  water." 

As  I  was  looking  about  me  I  discovered  a  move 
ment  in  the  woods  at  the  foot  of  the  hills.  I  could 
plainly  see  the  Indians  I  had  met  on  the  hill ;  and 
they  did  not  seem  to  be  very  careful  to  conceal  them 
selves.  They  were  moving  directly  towards  the 
horse-camp ;  and  were  likely  to  get  inside  of  the 
squad  we  had  just  left.  It  was  evident  that  they  had 
seen  the  hunters,  and  were  making  a  run  to  get 
between  them  and  the  camp. 

They  would  not  mind  the  loss  of  half  a  dozen  of 
men  if  they  could  secure  twenty  horses.  There  was 
no  longer  any  use  in  remaining  on  the  flat,  for  we 


94  THE   YOUNG    SILVEK    SEEKERS. 

could  approach  the  camp,  and  still  keep  between  the 
Indian  horseman  and  the  rest  of  the  body. 

"I  suppose  you  saw  the  Indians  then,  Hal?" 

"I  didn't  see  any  Indians,"  replied  Hal,  as  he  fol 
lowed  me  towards  the  rest  of  our  men. 

"  I  don't  think  you  will  make  a  safe  general  in 
command,  Hal.  You  think  more  of  your  private 
grievances  than  you  do  of  discovering  and  beating 
off  the  enemy.  I  saw  the  Indians ;  and  they  are 
moving  in  towards  the  horse-camp." 

"  I  don't  believe  I  shall  make  a  safe  general  if  my 
men  don't  obey  my  orders." 

"  I  think  you  have  harped  upon  that  string  about 
long  enough,  Hal.  I  am  sorry  I  did  not  leave  you 
at  the  ranch,  for  you  are  hardly  fit  to  take  a  hand  in 
an  enterprise  of  this  sort." 

"  That's  an  odd  way  to  put  it,"  growled  Hal.  "  You 
send  me  out  in  command  of  a  party,  and  because 
the  men  won't  obey  their  orders,  you  say  I  am  not 
fit  to  take  a  hand  in  a  difficult  and  dangerous  enter 
prise." 

"  If  Ben  had  obeyed  your  orders  we  should  have 
lost  all  the  horses  before  this  time.  You  would  have 
done  better  to  argue  the  case  with  Ben  Cavendish, 
for  it  is  clear  enough  to  me  that  he  knew  all  about 
this  business,  and  you  know  nothing  at  all  about  it." 

"  That's  pretty  severe,  judge,"  added  Hal. 

"  It  is  the  truth  that  is  severe.  Can't  you  see  as 
plainly  as  you  can  sec  your  own  face  in  a  looking- 
glass  that  you  would  have  gone  over  on  the  north 


THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  95 

side  of  the  camp,  when  the  Indians  were  on  the 
south  side.  While  you  were  looking  for  them,  they 
would  have  run  the  horses  off.  Ben  knew  the  sav 
ages  were  not  over  there." 

"The  responsibility  rested  on  me  and  not  on  him. 
If  the  horses  had  been  lost  that  would  have  been  my 
fault,"  added  Hal,  with  dignity. 

"  How  much  consolation  would  that  have  been  to 
me  for  the  loss  of  over  twenty  horses  ?  We  should 
have  had  to  go  back  to  the  ranch  for  more  animals, 
and  lost  a  couple  of  weeks  of  the  best  weather  of  the 
season." 

"  I  don't  see  it  in  that  light.  There  come  Greaser 
and  the  Indian  !  " 

I  looked.  It  was  Ben  Cavendish,  mounted  on 
Giant.  He  was  approaching  us  at  full  gallop.  The 
Kentuckian  looked  as  sober  and  serious  as  though  he 
had  been  a  judge  on  a  bench.  I  never  saw  a  finer 
horseman  or  a  better  rider.  I  could  well  believe  he- 
was  a  match  for  any  score,  at  least,  of  Indians. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

GETTING  UP  A  BENEFIT. — THE  REQUEST  TO  HAL.  —  A  DIGNI 
FIED  REPLY. — THE  MESSAGE  TO  THE  HUNTERS.  —  WHO 
IS  COMMANDER-IN-CIIIEF  ?  —  INTO  THE  WOODS.  —  FOL 
LOWING  A  LEADER. — THE  INDIAN  THAIL.  — GIANT  AT 
LIBERTY.  —  INTO  THE  VALLEY.  —  THE  KENTUCKIAN  RE 
CONNOITRES. —  A  DESPERATE  RACE. — SHARP  DISCIPLINE. 

A  NYTHING  new  hyer,  jedge?"  asked  Ben,  as  he 
^  dashed  up  to  us. 

"Yes;  it  is  all  new.  The  Indians  have  come  out 
of  their  hiding-place,  and  they  are  getting  inside  of 
the  rest  of  our  party.  They  are  making  for  the 
horses  as  fast  as  they  can.  I  don't  think  Buck  Sykes 
has  seen  them  yet,  for  he  hasn't  moved  since  we  left 
him." 

"  That  won't  do.  They  mought  have  seen  the  var 
mints,  ef  you  seen  'em,"  added  Ben  Cavendish,  as  he 
glanced  in  the  direction  of  the  valley  through  which 
we  had  passed.  "  They  ought  to  hev  seen  'em." 

"I  did  not  expect  you  would  get  here  yet  awhile." 

"I  seen  that  Injen  on  Greaser,  and  I  was  gittin'  up 
a  benefit  for  him.  But  we  must  look  out  for  the 
hosses ;  "  and  there  was  something  like  anxiety  in 
96 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  97 

the  Kentuckian's  features.  "If  they  git  a  dozen 
hosses  out  of  the  camp,  Buck  Sykes  and  his  fellers 
hasn't  much  of  a  chance  at  'em  on  foot." 

"  We  must  ride  in  and  set  them  in  motion  towards 
the  horse-camp." 

"  There  ain't  the  leastest  need  of  all  on  us  goin', 
jedge,"  added  Ben,  as  he  glanced  at  Hal.  "  Here, 
sonny,  you  ride  over  to  Buck  Sykes,  as  smart  as  you 
kin  make  your  critter  go,  and  tell  him  to  h'ist  hisself 
into  the  camp." 

"I  will  obey  when  my  superior  officer  orders  me 
to  do  so  !"  replied  Hal,  throwing  back  his  head,  and 
looking  as  though  he  was  in  command  of  a  company 
at  a  country  muster. 

"  Bless  his  little  stars !  I  reckon  he's  got  the 
stomach-ache,"  said  Ben,  without  deigning  to  cast  a 
second  glance  at  the  young  gentleman. 

"Ride  over  as  fast  as  you  can,  Hal,  and  deliver 
the  message  to  Buck  Sykes." 

"  Certainly,  I  will  go,  when  you  say  so,  judge ; " 
and  he  started  his  steed  in  the  direction  of  the  valley. 

He  did  not  let  the  grass  grow  under  his  feet.  He 
was  a  brave  and  generous  boy,  but  he  had  his 
crotchets.  I  expected  Ben  to  ask  an  explanation  of 
the  conduct  of  Hal ;  but  he  did  not  seem  to  notice 
the  boy's  dignity,  and  did  not  allude  to  the  matter  in 
any  way  then,  or  at  any  future  time. 

The  Kentuckian  said  nothing  on  any  subject ;  for 
he  was  not  disposed  to  waste  words  at  any  time, 
except  when  he  was  intoxicated,  and  then  he  wasted 


98  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

many  that  had  better  have  been  saved.  Without  in 
dicating  his  intentions  he  rode  off  in  the  direction  of 
the  woods  where  I  had  seen  the  Indians.  I  could  not 
think  what  he  intended  to  do  in  this  part  of  the  field 
of  operations,  for  all  the  action  had  been  transferred 
to  another  part,  nearer  the  horse-camp. 

Hal  made  rapid  time  across  the  field,  and  I  saw 
him  join  our  men  in  the  valley.  I  was  afraid  the 
hunters  would  follow  the  example  of  their  leader  and 
not  heed  him;  for  I  ought  to  have  cautioned  Hal 
not  to  put  on  any  airs  when  he  delivered  his  message. 
If  he  provoked  Buck,  he  might  disregard  what  he 
said.  But  I  was  relieved  of  this  fear  before  we 
reached  the  point  for  which  we  were  riding  by 
seeing  the  men  move  off  in  a  hurry  in  the  direction 
of  the  camp. 

In  a  few  minutes  more  we  reached  the  wood,  and 
Ben  halted.  He  cast  a  glance  across  the  flat,  and 
then  went  ahead  again.  I  began  to  feel  that  I  was 
not  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  expedition ;  for 
Ben  did  not  even  inform  me  in  regard  to  what  he 
was  driving  at,  to  say  nothing  of  consulting  me. 
But  he  appeared  to  know  what  he  was  about,  and 
that  reconciled  me  to  his  conduct.  Besides,  I  knew 
that  he  was  obedient  in  spirit,  for  he  was  at  work  at 
his  best  in  my  interest. 

I  followed  him  through  the  woods  for  half  a  mile, 
and  then  he  halted  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  hills  at 
the  side  of  the  valley  through  which  we  had  passed. 
Suddenly  he  dismounted,  and  fell  to  examining  the 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  99 

ground  under  his  horse's  feet.  He  seemed  to  be  in 
doubt.  Then  he  left  Giant  and  walked  up  the  hill. 

I  expected  to  see  his  wild  horse,  which  no  one  else 
could  even  catch,  to  say  nothing  of  managing  him, 
take  to  his  heels  and  leave  his  rider  to  foot  it  back  to 
the  cam  p.  I  rode  up  to  the  steed  with  the  intention 
of  taking  him  by  the  bridle,  but  he  darted  away 
from  me,  and  would  not  permit  me  to  come  near 
him.  Ben  took  a  survey  of  the  surroundings,  and 
then  returned. 

"What  do  you  make  of  it,  Ben?"  I  asked  more 
from  curiosity  than  any  lack  of  confidence. 

"I  seen  their  tracks.  The  Injens  has  been  this 
way,  and  went  outen  hyer  on  their  way  to  the  hoss- 
camp.  That's  all  right ;  Buck  Sykes  will  take  keer 
on  'em." 

Ben  walked  up  to  Giant  while  he  was  talking  to 
me,  and  the  fiery  beast  never  offered  to  stir  until  his 
master  had  mounted  him.  Then  he  was  anxious  to 
be  off  again,  rearing  and  plunging,  and  capering 
about  like  a  four-year  old  colt.  If  the  Kentuckian 
was  as  good  on  Indians  as  he  was  on  horses,  it  would 
be  folly  for  me  to  presume  to  direct  his  movements. 

My  leader  rode  a  short  distance  farther  under 
cover  of  the  woods,  and  then  struck  out  into  the 
country  behind  the  hills.  He  was  perfectly  self- 
possessed,  and  did  not  seem  to  be  anxious  about  what 
he  was  doing.  I  felt  quite  easy  about  the  horses  in 
the  camp  after  the  hunters  went  off  in  that  direction. 
My  experience  assured  me  that  the  report  of  a  gun 


100  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

was  quite  enough  to  put  the  enemy  to  flight,  though 
they  hud  certainly  shown  a  dogged  persistence  in 
their  attempts  to  get  at  the  horses. 

After  a  short  ride  we  entered  the  valley  where  I 
had  parted  with  the  men.  Ben  had  slowed  his  steed 
down  to  a  walk,  and  kept  his  eyes  fixed  on  a  point 
at  the  right  of  the  hill.  When  I  rode  up  to  his  side 
he  motioned  me  back,  and  I  took  my  place  in  his 
rear.  Hal  would  not  have  stood  it. 

Presently  Ben  dismounted,  and  left  his  horse  in  the 
open  field,  as  he  had  before.  Giant  was  disposed  to 
follow  him,  but  he  raised  his  long  arm  to  him,  and  he 
stood  immovable.  The  animal  seemed  to  be  ex 
tremely  fond  of  him ;  and  I  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  was  a  case  of  "  love  at  first  sight "  between  the 
steed  and  his  rider. 

Ben  advanced  very  cautiously,  still  scanning  the 
country  as  the  slope  of  the  hill  permitted  him  to 
observe  it.  I  sat  upon  my  horse,  not  venturing  to 
interfere  with  the  operations  of  the  Kentuckian.  I 
did  not  even  know  what  he  was  driving  at,  and 
certainly  not  how  he  was  driving  at  it. 

But  I  had  not  long  to  wait.  Suddenly  Ben  rushed 
back  to  his  steed.  I  had  no  idea  he  could  move  with 
such  celerity.  Without  a  word  of  explanation  or  any 
direction  to  me,  he  sprang  into  his  saddle  and  dashed 
at  a  furious  speed  out  of  the  A^alley  and  out  upon  the 
flat.  I  followed  him.  The  instant  I  got  out  from 
behind  the  hill  I  understood  it  all. 

Not  forty  rods  ahead  of  Ben  was  the  Indian  thief, 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    S^EttWKS:  101 

mounted  on  Greaser.  The  rascal  had  Kept  'out'clV' 
sight  until  he  concluded  that  the  tall  Kentuckian  had 
returned  to  the  horse-camp.  He  must  have  known 
what  his  companions  were  about,  and  probably  he 
had  been  near  enough  to  see  as  much  of  their  move 
ments  as  1  had.  He  had  kept  inside  the  woods  until 
he  came  nearly  to  the  hills.  The  soft  ground  would 
not  permit  him  to  reach  the  horse-camp  without 
going  through  the  valley.  As  he  approached  the  po 
sition  we  had  taken  Ben  improved  his  opportunity. 

No  one  knew  better  than  myself  what  the  horse 
that  the  Indian  rode  was,  for  he  had  been  my  own 
steed.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  speed  in  him,  and 
he  was  in  excellent  condition.  The  horse-thief  saw 
Ben  the  moment  he  passed  out  into  the  open  country. 
He  whirled  about  and  dashed  off  in  the  direction  he 
had  come,  though  he  kept  out  of  the  woods.  Ben 
let  Giant  out,  and  a  livelier  race  than  the  one  that  fol 
lowed  I  never  saw. 

The  Yuma  was  no  mean  horseman,  and  he  com 
pelled  Greaser  to  do  his  best.  I  followed  with  all 
the  speed  of  Wildcat,  but  I  could  not  keep  up  with 
Ben.  I  expected  to  see  the  Kentuckian  halt  at  some 
convenient  point,  and  level  his  long  rifle  at  the 
fugitive  ;  but  he  did  nothing  of  the  kind.  I  thought 
he  was  not  wise  to  neglect  his  opportunity,  for  the 
Indian  doubtless  knew  the  country  far  better  than  his 
pursuer. 

I  was  near  enough  to  the  hunter  to  see  that  he  did 
not  urge  his  steed,  for  Giant  seemed  to  understand 


SILVER    SEEKERS. 


,*ari<H.  Jto;  fcriow.  how  to  play  his  hand.  I 
think  I  was  ten  times  as  much  excited  as  Ben.  I 
could  not  see  how  the  chase  was  to  end,  and  it  could 
not  be  continued  much  longer,  for  the  woods  be 
yond  the  horse-camp  would  interfere  with  any  free 
progress. 

I  thought  there  would  be  a  big  fight  soon,  for  Ben 
was  gaining  rapidly  on  the  fugitive.  The  Indian 
evidently  had  abundance  of  pluck,  and  doubtless  he 
was  a  bold  and  skilful  brave,  or  he  would  not  have 
been  sent  out  on  the  important  mission  he  had  tried 
to  execute,  and  would  have  accomplished  if  Hal  had 
had  his  own  way.  Ben  did  not  seem  even  to  have 
taken  a  pistol  from  his  belt  for  the  emergency  that 
must  soon  come.  The  Indian  was  not  cooing  to  sur 
render  after  the  risk  he  had  run. 

The  Kentuckian  was  beginning  to  lap  over  on  the 
Indian.  He  sat  as  erect  on  his  horse  as  when  he  had 
come  into  our  presence  earlier  in  the  day.  I  watched 
him  with  the  most  intense  interest  as  he  gained  upon 
the  savage.  I  urged  Wildcat  to  renewed  speed. 
My  beast  was  the  equal  of  Greaser  but  not  of  Giant. 

I  saw  the  Yuma  look  over  his  shoulder  at  his  pur 
suer  frequently,  and  then  jam  his  heels  into  his  horse's 
flanks  in  the  vain  attempt  to  increase  his  speed. 
Giant's  head  was  abreast  of  the  fugitive's  body,  and 
the  crisis  Avas  evidently  at  hand.  Still  there  was  no 
show  of  weapons  on  the  part  of  the  Kentuckian,  and 
my  winder  as  to  what  he  intended  to  do  was  greatly 
increased. 


THE  YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  103 

Giant  seemed  to  understand  at  this  moment  that 
something  extraordinary  was  expected  of  him  as  well 
as  his  master.  He  seemed  to  bend  down  more 
earnestly  to  his  task,  and  the  effect  was  instantly  ap 
parent.  Ben  wras  abreast  of  the  Indian,  wrho  tried  to 
sheer  off,  and  get  away  from  his  assailant,  as  he  now 
appeared  to  be  ;  but  the  pursuer  did  not  allow  him  to 
increase  his  distance  at  all. 

I  was  but  a  short  distance  behind,  and  I  saw  that 
the  horses  could  hardly  have  got  closer  together. 
Suddenly  Ben  raised  his  long  arm  and  seized  the 
Yuma  by  the  throat.  I  had  not  time  to  observe  what 
he  was  about,  it  was  done  so  quickly.  He  dragged  the 
Indian  from  his  horse  and  dropped  him  on  the  ground. 

The  fellow  fell  directly  in  my  path,  and  Wildcat 
made  a  flying  leap  over  his  body.  I  looked  back 
as  soon  as  I  had  regained  my  balance  after  the  leap, 
and  I  saw  the  Yuma  spring  to  his  feet.  He  tried  to 
run  off,  but  he  seemed  to  be  injured  so  that  he  could 
not  do  anything  more  than  limp. 

I  wondered  that  Ben  did  not  stop,  or  at  least  abate 
his  speed ;  but  he  kept  on  as  though  nothing  had 
happened  to  interrupt  the  chase.  I  continued  to  fol 
low  him,  for  I  understood  that  he  regarded  the  horse 
as  of  more  consequence  than  his  late  rider,  as  I 
certainly  did  myself,  and  I  commended  his  good 
judgment. 

He  lost  none  of  the  ground  he  had  gained,  and  I 
soon  saw  him  take  Greaser  by  the  bridle. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

BEN  CAVENDISH  REDEEMS  HIS  PROMISE.  —  GREASER  AMONG 
HIS  FRIENDS. — AN  ALARMING  POSSIBILITY. — SEVERAL 
SHOTS.  —  APPEARANCE  OF  THE  ENEMY  ON  THE  OPEN 
GROUND.  —  AN  INDIFFERENT  KENTUCKIAN.  —  SAFETY  OF 
THE  HORSES. — ALARM  OF  THE  YUMAS.  —  HAL  IN  HOT 

PURSUIT.  — BEN'S    SIGNAL. — A    DISGUSTED    LEADER. — 
GENERAL  BUSTER. 

A  S  soon  as  I  saw  that  Greaser  had  been  captured 
by  the  Kentuckian,  I  reined  in  my  steed.  The 
exciting  chase  was  over,  and  Ben  had  done  all  he  had 
promised  to  do.  He  rode  back  to  the  place  Avhcre 
I  was  waiting  for  him,  leading  the  captured  horse  by 
the  rein. 

"  Hyer  is  the  hoss,  jedge,"  said  he,  hardly  looking 
at  me  as  he  spoke. 

"  I  see  you  have  him,  and  I  am  very  glad  to  get 
him  back." 

"  It  don't  do  to  let  them  Injens  steal  the  bosses  ;  it 
makes  'em  think  they  kin  do  it  when  they  like," 
added  he,  and  he  did  not  seem  to  be  conscious  that 
he  had  done  a  big  thing. 

"  I  suppose  you  saw  the  thief  limping  off  into  the 
woods." 

104 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  105 

"He  ain't  no  'count,"  replied  Ben,  without  even 
deigning  to  look  for  the  fugitive. 

"  I  thought  you  would  be  likely  to  kill  him  before 
you  got  through  with  him." 

"  I  don't  kill  flies  ;  I  only  brush  'em  off  when  they 
light  on  my  nose.  But  I  reckon  we'd  better  see 
what  the  rest  on  'em  is  doin',"  added  Ben,  as  he 
started  his  horse  again.  "  I  hope  we  hain't  got  to 
hunt  no  more  on  'em,  'case  I  reckon  you  want  to  git 
over  the  river." 

"  I  don't  believe  our  men  let  them  take  any  out  of 
the  camp  ;  and  that  thief  would  not  have  got  Greaser 
if  the  animal  hadn't  broke  loose." 

"  You  can't  gener'ly  allus  tell.  They  mought  and 
they  mought  not." 

"You  don't  think  there  is  any  danger  that  the 
Indians  have  got  any  of  the  horses,  do  you?  " 

I  was  somewhat  alarmed  at  the  very  thought, 
after  I  had  taken  so  much  pains  to  prevent  such 
a  catastrophe. 

"I  dunno  ;  sunthin'  mought  happen,  and  it  mought 
not.  I  don't  expect  nothin'  has  happened.  If  they've 
tooken  any  of  the  hosses  we'll  have  'em  agin." 

The  main  body  of  the  Indians  Avere  between  us  and 
the  horse-camp ;  at  least  they  had  fallen  in  behind 
our  men,  and  they  moved  in  that  direction.  We 
rode  along  at  a  moderate  pace,  for  Greaser  did  not 
lead  well,  and  we  were  in  no  particular  hurry.  If 
'the  Indians  could  do  any  mischief  it  was  done  before 
this  time. 


106  THE    YOTJXG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

We  had  gone  but  a  few  steps  farther  before  we 
heard  the  report  of  several  pieces.  This  indicated 
that  the  enemy  had  come  upon  our  men,  or  our  men 
had  come  upon  them.  We  were  approaching  the 
bushy  patch  between  the  camp  and  the  valley,  and 
we  could  not  see  what  was  going  on  ahead  of  us. 
The  first  report  of  firearms  was  followed  by  occasional 
shots,  and  we  concluded  that  our  men  were  striking 
the  enemy  as  they  had  a  chance  to  do  so. 

Before  I  could  ask  Ben  to  give  me  his  view  of 
what  was  going  on  in  the  bushes,  the  whole  band 
broke  out  into  the  open  field.  None  of  them  were 
mounted,  but  they  were  running  as  if  their  lives 
depended  upon  their  fleetness.  As  they  came  into 
view  a  couple  of  shots  were  fired  from  a  point  behind 
them. 

"  Halt  hyer  !  "  said  Ben,  with  more  energy  than  he 
usually  put  into  his  voice.  He  had  come  to  a  halt 
himself,  and  I  did  the  same. 

"  Them  bullets  ain't  for  us,  and  we  don't  want  none 
on  'em,"  added  Ben.  "  'Tain't  comfortable  to  be  shot 
by  your  own  friends." 

"I  don't  think  it  is;  but  what  you  going  to  do, 
Ben?" 

"I  ain't  gwine  to  do  nothin.'  There  ain't  nothin' 
to  be  done.  They  hain't  got  no  bosses,  and  that 
shows  that  they  didn't  steal  none." 

But  the  next  move  was  to  be  made  by  the  Indians. 
As  soon  as  they  saw  Ben  and  me  they  halted  and 
looked  about  them.  The  party  numbered  about 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  107 

thirty,  and  we  could  have  killed  some  of  them  with 
out  the  least  difficulty.  Ben  proved  that  he  had  no 
special  hatred  for  Indians  when  he  permitted 
Greaser's  captor  to  escape  to  the  woods  without 
taking  any  notice  of  him.  "He  didn't  kill  flies  ;  he 
only  brushed  them  off."  This  seemed  to  be  the 
foundation  of  his  principle  in  the  treatment  of  the 
aborigines.  He  was  not  disposed  to  do  anything  in 
the  nature  of  revenge,  or  to  inflict  punishment  that 
could  not  work  reforms. 

The  Indians  looked  at  us  in  apparent  amazement, 
and  then  glanced  over  their  shoulders  at  the  bushes 
behind  them,  from  which  the  shots  came.  The  line  of 
their  retreat  lay  through  the  valley  from  which  we  had 
just  come,  for  the  wet  ground  to  the  right  of  them 
seemed  to  be  impassable.  They  wanted  to  pass  us  on 
their  way  to  a  place  of  safety.  Suddenly  they  did 
the  only  thing  they  could  do  :  they  retreated  to  the 
border  of  the  swamp,  which  was  probably  passable  at 
a  dryer  season  of  the  year. 

Ben  did  not  offer  to  fire  a  shot  at  them.  He  re 
garded  them  with  contempt ;  and  I  never  killed  an 
Indian  unless  compelled  by  the  peril  of  my  own 
party  to  do  so.  I  think  we  agreed  perfectly  on  this 
matter.  In  this  respect  he  was  different  from  any 
hunters  I  had  ever  met  on  the  plains  or  in  the  Pacific 
region.  Generally  they  hated  the  savages,  and  lost 
no  opportunity  to  sacrifice  them,  without  much  re 
gard  for  the  necessity  of  the  case. 

"What  next,  Ben?" 


108  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKEES. 

The  Kentiickian  seemed  to  be  waiting,  with  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  bashes  from  which  the  savages  had 
come.  Before  he  could  answer  my  question,  Hal 
dashed  out  of  the  concealment  and  gave  chase  to  the 
retreating  band.  In  a  few  minutes  more  the  rest  of 
the  men  came  out  on  the  run.  Hal  seemed  to  be 
shouting  to  them,  though  we  could  not  hear  what  he 
said ;  but  he  appeared  to  be  leading  in  the  pursuit  of 
the  Indians. 

"I  reckon  we  hain't  got  no  more  business  here, 
and  we  don't  want  the  men  chasm'  arter  them  mud- 
eaters,"  said  Ben,  as  he  started  his  horse  and  rode 
towards  the  point  by  which  they  had  left  the  brush. 

"That's  just  my  opinion.  I  think  the  men  in  the 
river  have  reached  the  other  side  by  this  time,  and 
we  needn't  leave  the  horses  at  the  camp  any  longer." 

"Sonny  is  arter  'em;  but  'tain't  no  kind  o'  use. 
There  ain't  no  sport  in  shootin'  Injens,"  added  Ben, 
as  he  waved  his  broad-brimmed  hat  at  the  men. 

They  must  have  had  one  eye  on  him,  for  they 
immediately  halted,  taking  no  further  notice  of  Hal, 
who  was  forty  rods  ahead  of  them,  still  dashing  in  the 
direction  the  band  had  taken. 

In  a  short  time  we  joined  the  men  on  foot.  I  told 
them  to  return  to  the  horse-camp,  mount,  and  go 
down  to  the  river.  Greaser  was  Buck  Sykes'  horse  ; 
I  told  him  to  take  him  and  ride  clown  to  the  river, 
and  send  the  men  up  for  their  horses. 

As  soon  as  Hal  saw  that  he  was  alone  in  the  chase 
he  gave  it  up,  and  rode  to  the  spot  where  we  were. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  109 

He  wore  his  disgusted  look,  and  I  saw  that  he  was 
dissatisfied  again.  Probably  he  was  disgruntled  be 
cause  his  followers  had  neglected  to  continue  the 
pursuit  with  him. 

"Can  I  return  to  the  ranch,  judge?"  asked  Hal, 
riding  up  to  me,  when  I  had  sent  the  men  off. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  return  to  Buena  Vista  ?  " 

"  That's  what  I  mean,"  replied  he,  with  considerable 
vim. 

"Certainly,  if  you  desire  to  do  so." 

"Can  I  go  to  Chihuahua  alone,  and  by  myself?" 

"Certainly  not." 

"Then  I  Avill  return  to  the  ranch,"  replied  he  des 
perately,  as  though  he  intended  to  deprive  me  of  the 
most  valuable  person  in  the  party. 

"All  right.     Do  you  start  this  afternoon?" 

"I  shall  start  at  once." 

"Very  well.  What  shall  I  say  to  Senorita  Juanita 
when  I  see  her,  if  I  should  see  her?" 

"I  shall  send  no  message,"  he  answered  with 
dignity . 

"  As  you  please ;  but  you  had  better  go  down  to 
the  caravel  and  get  a  supply  of  provisions  before  you 
start,  for  you  know  nothing  can  be  had  on  the  way, 
or  at  least  the  first  half  of  the  way." 

"  We  have  had  no  dinner  yet,  to-day,  and  I  don't 
feel  like  starting  till  I  have  had  something  to  eat." 

"I  think  you  are  wise  about  that,  Hal.  You  must 
take  as  much  provision  as  you  can  carry,  for  it  isn't 
pleasant  to  be  hungry  when  you  are  on  a  long  ride." 


110  THE    YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

Hal  bit  his  lips  till  they  bled  in  vexation.  I  really 
believe  the  boy  thought  he  was  one  of  the  most  im 
portant  personages  in  the  expedition,  and  that  I 
should  not  be  willing  to  consider  such  a  thing  as 
his  leaving.  Very  likely  he  expected  me  to  make 
terms  with  him  in  order  to  induce  him  to  remain  with 
the  party.  Both  boys  were  in  my  charge,  and  I 
stood  in  loco  parentis  to  them.  I  tried  to  be  a  parent 
to  them. 

They  had  been  allowed  to  come  to  the  Pacific 
coast  with  me  in  order  to  build  up  their  health. 
They  had  done  this  in  the  most  effectual  manner.  In 
my  judgment,  Hal  wanted  building  up  in  some  other 
direction  vastly  more  than  he  did  physically.  I  did 
not  mean  to  spoil  the  boy  while  he  was  in  my  care, 
and  I  paid  but  little  attention  to  his  whims,  unless  it 
was  to  mend  his  manners. 

I  rode  off  in  the  direction  of  the  horse-camp,  fol 
lowed  by  Hal ;  but  he  said  nothing  more  to  me  about 
going  back  to  the  ranch  at  this  time.  I  decided  not 
to  give  him  anything  more  to  do  in  the  expedition 
until  he  applied  for  something  himself,  and  thus  in 
formed  me  that  he  had  decided  not  to  return.  I 
overtook  the  men  on  foot  in  a  few  minutes,  and  rode 
up  to  them.  Hal  hung  back,  and  did  not  come  near 
the  hunters.  He  also  gave  the  Kentuckian  a  wide 
berth. 

"How  happened  you  to  fire  on  the  Indians,  Linn 
Hoover?*' 

"Buck  Sykes  hid  in  the  bushes,  in   sight  of  the 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  Ill 

hoss-camp ;  and  when  the  Injcns  was  makin'  a  dive 
at  the  hosses,  we  opened  on  'em ;  but  I  don't  reckon' 
we  hit  one  on  'em.  They  did  not  cal'late  on  seeing 
us  thar.  General  Buster  led  us — : 

"Who  led  you?" 

I  had  not  before  heard  of  the  individual  mentioned, 
and  my  curiosity  was  excited. 

"General  Buster,"  replied  Linn,  apparently  in  per 
fect  good  faith. 

"I  don't  know  General  Buster;  I  never  heard  of 
any  such  person  before." 

"I  hope  you'll  excuse  me,  jedge ;  I  don't  mean 
nothin'  by  it,"  added  Linn,  as  though  he  had  re 
covered  his  recollection  all  at  once. 

"I  don't  understand  you  yet." 

"That's  General  Buster,  over  thar,"  he  replied, 
pointing  at  Hal,  in  the  rear.  "That's  what  the  men 
call  him,  and  I  didn't  give  him  the  name,  nuther." 

"Then  Hal  is  General  Buster?" 

"I  didn't  think  when  I  was  talkin'  as  he  was  your 
son,"  pleaded  Linn. 

"  Pie  is  not  my  son ;  and  is  no  relation  to  me." 

"  General  Buster  ordered  us  to  follow  him,  and  we 
chased  the  Indians,  firing  when  we  got  a  chance." 

I  thought  General  Buster  was  not  a  bad  name  for 
Hal. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

WAITING  BY  THE  RIVER. — DINNER  ON  BOTH  SIDES  OF  THE 
RIVER.  —  A  DECISION  REQUIRED.  —  HAL  WRESTLES  WITH 
HIS  PRIDE.  —  EXPLANATIONS  AGAIN.  —  MESSAGES  FOR 
THE  RANCH. — HAL'S  PROPOSITIONS. —  ALL  REJECTED. —  A 
FINAL  ANSWER.  —  A  VOLLEY  OF  ARROWS.  —  PLUCKY 
HAL.  —  A  GOOD  SHOT.  —  THE  FIRST  HIT  OF  THE  DAY. 

TT7ITH  the  rope  used  to  picket  the  horses,  we 
brought  the  spare  animals  into  couples  and 
arranged  them  for  crossing  the  river.  We  marched 
down  to  the  landing-place  again,  and  my  interest  in 
the  caravel  revived.  The  end  of  the  rope  I  had 
secured  to  the  shore  was  drawn  taut,  and  I  was  glad 
that  the  rope  had  proved  to  be  long  enough  to  reach 
across  the  stream. 

The  men  on  the  other  side  had  picketed  their 
horses,  and  were  lying  on  the  ground  waiting  for 
the  next  move  on  our  side  of  the  stream.  Probably 
they  had  obtained  some  hint  of  the  adventures 
through  which  we  had  passed,  and  possibly  they  had 
seen  the  Indians  on  the  knoll  where  I  had  first  met 
them.  A  second  examination  of  the  scene  revealed 
the  fact  that  the  men  were  eating  their  dinners.  I 
made  it  a  rule  that  every  man  in  the  party  should 
112 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  113 

carry  a  supply  of  provision  with  him,  that  he  might 
not  suffer  in  case  he  was  separated  from  the  main 
body  by  any  accident. 

The  sight  reminded  me  that  we  had  not  dined  on 
our  side  of  the  river,  and  I  gave  the  order  to  the 
men  to  attend  to  this  matter.  Of  course  we  did  not 
set  a  table,  but  I  directed  the  peons  with  us  to  bring 
out  the  boiled  hams  and  the  hard  bread,  upon  which 
we  made  a  hearty  meal.  We  had  a  more  elaborate 
meal  than  this  sometimes,  though  not  when  time 
pressed. 

"We  are  about  to  cross  the  river,  Hal,  and  as  you 
are  not  going  with  us,  you  had  better  take  what  pro 
visions  you  desire  from  the  stock  before  we  get  the 
caravel  ready  to  go  across." 

Hal  looked  at  me  earnestly,  and  I  realized  that  he 
wanted  to  back  out.  I  was  entirely  willing  that  he 
should  do  so,  but  was  not  so  ready  to  tease  him  to 
stay  with  the  party  as  he  wished  me  to  do. 

"I  don't  exactly  like  to  leave  you,  judge,  but  I 
can't  stand " 

"  If  you  do  leave  us  we  shall  try  our  best  to  get 
along  without  you.  We  may  not  be  able  to  do  so  ; 
though  I  shall  not  interfere  with  your  wish  to  return 
to  the  ranch  on  any  selfish  grounds." 

"  I  was  going  to  say  that  when  I  am  in  command 
of " 

'*  You  needn't  say  anything  more  about  that  matter, 
Hal.  I  give  you  my  word  I  won't  hear  any  explana 
tions.  If  you  desire  to  return  to  the  ranch,  and 


114  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

remain  with  Captain  Wilkinson,  you  may  do  so.  You 
must  decide  the  question  yourself  as  to  whether  or 
not  you  will  go." 

"  I  wish  to  explain  why  I  desire  to  return  to  the 
ranch,"  Hal  insisted.  "  When  I  am  - 

"I  do  not  wish  to  hear  any  explanation  of  the 
reason  why  you  return." 

"  That  is  very  strange,  judge,"  added  Hal,  vexed 
and  perplexed  by  the  position  I  had  taken.  "You 
are  a  very  fair  man,  judge,  and  it  seems  to  be  no 
more  than  just  that  you  should  understand  my 
motives  for  the  decided  step  I  am  about  to  take." 

"  I  don't  care  a  feather  on  the  end  of  a  hen's  tail 
what  your  motives  are.  Some  evidence  is  admissible 
and  some  is  not.  Your  motives  are  not  admissible. 
Settle  the  matter  for  yourself.  If  you  are  going,  say 
so ;  and  we  will  struggle  along  alone,  or  without 
your  assistance." 

I  proceeded  to  give  my  directions  for  the  crossing 
of  the  mounted  men,  and  indicated  the  manner  in 
which  the  draught-horses  were  to  be  conducted  over. 
Those  who  were  to  engage  in  this  undertaking  started 
into  the  water,  and  did  quite  as  well  as  those  who 
had  crossed  before. 

I  waited  patiently  till  they  reached  the  other  side, 
putting  the  caravel  in  condition  for  its  voyage  in  the 
meantime.  No  one  remained  with  me  but  Hal  and 
the  two  drivers.  My  horse  had  gone  over  in  charge 
of  one  of  the  vaqueros.  I  had  found  it  was  im 
possible  to  take  the  wheels  off  the  chariot  of  the 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  115 

desert  without  unloading  it,  and  I  concluded  that  it 
would  float  as  well  with  them  as  without  them. 

The  caravel  was  on  the  hard  sandy  incline  that 
bordered  the  water,  and  I  think  I  could  have  run  it 
down  into  the  water  alone.  Several  of  the  hoops 
that  supported  the  cover  had  been  removed  at  the 
stern  so  that  the  steering  oar  could  be  worked.  I 
expected  the  men  on  the  other  side  to  haul  the  odd 
craft  through  the  water  to  the  other  shore.  The  only 
fear  I  had  was  that  the  rope  might  break  when  the 
current  bore  hard  on  the  caravel.  But  it  was  a  new 
rope,  procured  with  special  reference  to  what  was 
now  required  of  it. 

I  took  my  place  at  the  steering  oar,  with  two  men 
at  hand  to  help  me  as  occasion  might  require.  Hal 
was  sitting  on  his  horse  watching  the  proceedings 
with  interest ;  and  possibly  he  was  sorry  he  had 
decided  to  return  to  the  ranch,  especially  as  he  was 
not  permitted  to  put  in  his  explanations. 

"  Good-bye,  Hal,"  1  called  to  him,  when  I  saw  the 
men  leading  the  draught-horses  up  the  bank  on  the 
other  side.  "  We  are  about  to  go  off  into  the  water. 
I  hope  you  will  have  a  pleasant  and  a  safe  ride  across 
the  state,  and  that  you  will  enjoy  yourself  with  Cap 
tain  Wilkinson  through  the  summer  and  the  fall,  to 
say  nothing  of  what  is  left  of  the  spring." 

Hal  looked  decidedly  chopfallen.  He  glanced  at 
me,  but  made  no  reply. 

"Tell  Captain  Wilkinson,  if  he  gets  a  good 
chance  to  sell  any  of  the  cattle,  that  I  wish  him 


116  THE   YOUNG   SILVEE    SEEKEES. 

to  do  so,  Hal.  And  give  him  my  kindest  regards, 
Hal." 

"  I  don't  know  but  I  shall  try  it  with  the  expedi 
tion  a  few  days  longer,"  said  Hal,  with  a  sickly  smile. 

"That  won't  do  at  all.  In  a  few  days  we  shall  be 
well  into  the  Indian  country,  and  it  will  not  be  pru 
dent  to  cross  the  region  alone.  If  you  have  any 
thought  of  returning  to  the  ranch  you  must  start  at 
once." 

"  I  think  I  shall  cross  the  river  with  you  at  any 
rate,"  added  Hal ;  and  it  was  very  hard  for  him  to 
back  down  without  making  a  single  point,  or  even 
getting  in  an  explanation  to  soothe  his  wounded 
vanity. 

"If  you  go  at  all,  Hal,  you  must  go  now." 

"  If  that  tall  Kentuckian " 

"That's  enough  of  that." 

I  was  inexorable,  and  I  knew  I  could  not  cure  the 
boy  of  a  bad  habit  unless  he  was  compelled  to  back 
squarely  down.  He  was  not  disposed  to  say  anything 
more,  though  I  saw  that  he  had  not  now,  if  he  had 
ever  had,  any  intention  of  going  back  to  the  ranch. 
He  relapsed  into  silence,  and  I  waited  for  him  to 
come  to  a  conclusion. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  Hal?  I  must  have  the 
question  settled  at  once." 

"Then  I  shall  go  with  the  party!"  replied  he, 
desperately.  It  was  like  pulling  out  a  tooth  for  him 
to  say  so.  I  did  not  believe  he  would  try  to  "  bluff " 
me  again. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  117 

I  noticed  that  while  I  was  talking  with  Hal,  the 
party  on  the  other  side  appeared  to  be  very  busy ; 
but  whatever  they  were  doing  had  been  accomplished, 
for  the  men  were  at  rest,  and  were  waiting  for  a  sig 
nal  from  me. 

"  Will  you  swim  your  horse  over,  or  go  over  in  the 
caravel,  Hal?" 

"I  will  swim  my  horse  over,"  replied  he, 
promptly. 

I  was  sorry  to  hear  him  come  to  this  conclusion. 
He  was  a  bold,  daring  and  plucky  fellow  when  he 
was  with  a  party,  or  even  with  a  single  companion ; 
but  I  was  afraid  the  long  swim  would  be  too  much 
for  him.  All  that  had  crossed  so  far  had  been,  as  it 
were,  tied  together ;  Hal  was  to  be  unsupported ; 
and  I  was  not  sure  that  I  could  render  him  any  assist 
ance  if  he  needed  it  when  the  caravel  was  in  the 
current  of  the  great  river. 

"  I  think  you  had  better  go  over  in  the  ark,  as  you 
call  it,  and  let  your  horse  swim  it." 

"  I  am  not  a  chicken,"  replied  the  young  man, 
proudly. 

"I  know  you  are  no  chicken,  Hal;  but  you  will 
be  alone  in  the  current  while  all  who  have  crossed  so 
far  have  supported  each  other.  I  may  have  trouble 
with  the  caravel,  and  I  may  want  your  help." 

"  If  I  can  help  you,  I  will  do  whatever  you  say, 
judge." 

Before  the  matter  had  been  settled,  half  a  dozen 
Indian  arrows  came  flying  through  the  air.  One  of 


118  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

them  struck  into  the  canvas  cover  of  the  caravel,  and 
the  other  passed  unpleasantly  near  my  head. 

"That  is  what  you  get  for  not  punishing  those 
Indians  for  stealing  horses!"  exclaimed  Hal,  as  he 
dug  his  heels  into  the  flanks  of  his  steed,  and 
galloped  up  the  bank  of  the  river. 

"  Stop,  Hal !  Where  are  you  going?  Do  you  mean 
to  fight  a  squad  of  Indians  alone  ?  " 

But  he  did  not  hear  me,  or  he  was  too  much  excited 
to  heed  me.  I  grasped  my  double-barrelled  gun  and 
ran  after  him.  I  called  the  two  hands  with  me,  tell 
ing  them  to  bring  their  guns.  We  could  not  see  any 
Indians,  but  there  was  only  one  place  where  they 
could  be  concealed ;  and  that  was  a  clump  of  bushes 
near  the  slope  to  the  river.  They  could  reach  this 
hiding-place  without  exposing  themselves  to  our 
sight. 

Hal  was  foolhardy,  as  he  was  apt  to  be ;  and  I 
was  afraid  that  he  would  be  pierced  with  an  arrow, 
possibly  poisoned,  before  he  could  reach  the  bushes. 
He  unslung  his  gun  as  he  rode,  and  I  knew  he  was 
good  for  two  shots.  When  he  had  gone  about  half 
way  to  the  clump  of  bushes,  he  reined  in  his  steed. 
Kaising  his  piece  to  his  shoulder,  he  took  aim  and 
fired. 

A  general  yell  followed  from  the  enemy.  I  saw 
one  of  the  Indians  jump  up  into  the  air,  and  come 
down  upon  the  ground.  The  rest  of  them  broke 
from  their  concealment  and  ran  in  the  direction  of 
the  two  knolls.  Hal  dashed  after  them.  He  had 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  119 

done  all  that  it  was  necessary  to  do,  and  I  would 
have  called  him  off  if  I  could.  I  followed  him  Avith 
what  speed  I  could.  As  the  enemy  were  running  up 
the  side  of  the  hill,  he  halted  again,  and  this  stop 
enabled  me  to  reach  him.  He  was  raising  his  gun  to 
give  the  Indians  another  shot  when  I  asked  him  to 
desist. 

In  spite  of  the  excitement  under  which  he  was 
acting,  he  regarded  my  request.  I  told  him  it  was 
useless  to  chase  them,  and  we  had  no  time  to  spare. 
He  had  knocked  one  of  them  over,  and  that  would 
satisfy  the  rest  of  them. 

"  I  believe  in  teaching  these  villains  to  show  proper 
respect  to  a  white  man,"  said  Hal ;  but  he  checked 
himself  when  he  realized  that  he  was  getting  a  little 
airy.  "  I  will  do  just  as  you  say,  judge,  for  I  believe 
in  obeying  orders." 

"  Then  we  will  return  to  the  caravel." 

As  we  passed  the  hiding-place  of  the  band,  I  saw 
the  one  who  had  been  hit  by  the  ball  from  the  boy's 
gun.  He  was  writhing  in  pain  or  terror,  I  couldn't 
tell  which.  As  we  approached,  however,  he  took  to 
his  heels  and  ran  up  the  bank  of  the  river ;  but  his 
movements  indicated  that  he  was  badly  wounded. 

"  That  was  a  good  shot,  Hal ;  and  you  are  the  only 
one  that  has  hit  an  Indian  to-day,  so  far  as  I  know. 
But  we  shall  soon  be  out  of  their  way.  It  is  useless 
to  waste  time  upon  these  rascals." 

Hal  was  pleased  with  the  compliment,  and  he  fol 
lowed  me  to  the  caravel. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

HAL  IS  HIMSELF  AGAIN.  —  A  LOST  BONANZA.  —  THE  CARAVEL 
SLIPS  INTO  THE  WATER.  —  A  MYSTERIOUS  MOTOR.  —  THE 
ARK  AFLOAT.  —  A  USELESS  PIECE  OF  MACHINERY.  —  AN 
ANGLING  COURSE.  —  WHAT  MOVED  HER?  —  THE  STRUG 
GLING  HORSE.  —  SWIMMING  ON  HIS  OWN  HOOK.  —  NEAR- 
ING  THE  SHORE.  —  NED'S  MANAGEMENT.  —  THREE  CHEERS. 
—  OUT  OF  THE  WOODS. 


little  adventure  on  the  shore  had  done  a  great 
deal  to  restore  Hal's  self-respect.  I  had  given 
him  credit  for  what  he  had  done,  and  he  felt  better; 
he  was  entirely  tractable.  My  interest  in  the  caravel 
had  caused  me  to  forget  that  there  were  Indians  near 
the  shore,  when  I  sent  all  the  men  to  the  other 
side. 

The  enemy  had  doubtless  discovered  that  only  four 
persons  remained  on  this  side  of  the  river,  and  the 
cargo  of  the  caravel  would  have  been  a  bonanza  to 
them.  But  Hal  had  routed  the  whole  of  them  with  a 
single  shot. 

I  gave  Hal  a  line  to  lead  his  horse  by,  and  he  went 
on  board  of  the  caravel  with  me.  I  made  the  signal 
to  the  party  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  expecting 
120 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  121 

it  would  take  them  some  time  to  start  the  boat  with 
such  a  length  of  line. 

I  had  hardly  made  the  signal  before  the  caravel 
began  to  move  slowly  down  the  bank.  I  looked 
across  the  river,  but  I  could  not  see  that  the  men 
were  hauling  on  the  rope ;  on  the  contrary,  I  could 
see  about  all  I  had  sent  over  standing  on  the  bank. 
There  were  bushes  on  the  shore  so  that  I  could  not 
obtain  a  view  of  what  was  beyond  them.  I  concluded 
that  Ned  Brown  had  been  exercising  his  ingenuity  in 
some  manner,  as  he  was  in  the  habit  of  doing,  for  he 
had  a  mechanical  turn. 

The  caravel  rolled  on  its  wheels  slowly  down  to  the 
edge  of  the  water.  I  had  loaded  her  well  by  the 
stern,  so  that  she  could  not  put  her  bow  under 
water  when  she  struck  the  stream.  She  touched  the 
water,  and  it  looked  to  me  as  though  she  was  going 
to  fill  as  it  was.  Hal  and  I  and  the  two  drivers  went 
as  far  aft  as  we  could.  She  continued  to  advance 
very  slowly,  though  much  more  rapidly  than  I  sup 
posed  it  would  be  possible  for  the  men  on  the  other 
side  to  drag  her. 

My  fears  were  not  realized,  and  no  water  came 
into  the  caravel.  1  could  not  see  how  high  the  water 
rose  in  the  forward  end  from  the  part  where  I  stood, 
but  it  seemed  to  me  that  a  few  inches  more  would 
have  made  it  a  wet  time  in  the  bottom  of  the  caravel. 
The  bow  began  to  rise,  and  a  minute  later  the 
hind  wheels  ceased  to  touch  the  bottom.  The  odd 
vessel  was  fairly  afloat,  and  so  far  it  was  a  decided 


122  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

success.  We  had  tons  of  meat  and  stores  on  board, 
and  it  would  have  taken  scores  of  pack-horses  to 
transport  them  in  the  ordinary  manner. 

I  got  out  the  steering  oar,  but  I  soon  found  that  it 
was  little*  better  than  a  useless  piece  of  machinery. 
As  soon  as  the  current  struck  the  caravel  it  began  to 
swing  down  stream.  I  had  expected  this ;  but  as 
long  as  the  rope  did  not  break  no  harm  was  done.  I 
directed  the  vaqueros  to  work  the  oar,  and  try  to 
keep  the  boat  headed  across  the  river,  but  I  soon 
found  that  this  was  needless  labor. 

We  seated  ourselves  in  the  after-part  of  the 
caravel,  and  watched  its  progress  through  the  water. 
I  observed  that  the  craft  heeled  over  on  the  up-river 
side,  and  I  set  the  men  to  shifting  the  cargo  until  the 
boat  sat  on  a  level.  I  was  perfectly  satisfied  with 
her,  and  I  felt  as  other  men  do  when  they  have 
invented  something  that  is  a  success. 

"She  works  first  rate,  judge,"  said  Hal,  when  he 
had  watched  the  motion  of  the  caravel  for  a  time. 

"She  is  doing  all  I  expected  of  her." 

"  But  what  is  it  that  takes  us  along  so  smoothly  ? 
All  the  men  are  at  the  shore  looking  on,  when  I  sup 
posed  they  were  to  pull  the  caravel  over,"  added  Hal. 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know  how  they  are  moving  her, 
but  they  certainly  are  doing  it  very  powerfully  and 
very  easily." 

"They  must  have  rigged  a  windlass  of  some  sort." 

"No,  that  is  not  possible,  unless  it  is  a  movable 
windlass,  and  they  have  no  vehicle  on  which  to 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  123 

transport  it.  Don't  you  observe  that  the  power 
keeps  coming  from  farther  up  the  river  ?  " 

"I  see  that  it  does.  I  can  see  the  rope  several 
rods  higher  up  the  stream  than  it  was  when  we 
started,"  replied  Hal,  rising  and  going  forward  to 
examine  into  the  mystery  of  the  force  that  propelled 
the  caravel. 

"  I  told  Ned  to  look  out  for  the  moving  of  the  boat 
across  the  river,  and  we  agreed  upon  signals  for 
stopping  and  starting  again." 

"I  think  the  men  on  the  other  side  must  obey  the 
orders  of  Ned,  or  he  could  not  do  anything,"  added 
Hal. 

I  made  no  reply,  for  it  was  plain  enough  what  he 
was  driving  at.  I  had  no  doubt  he  would  persevere 
in  his  attempt  to  get  in  an  explanation  of  the  events 
of  the  forenoon.  But  at  this  point  in  the  passage  I 
noticed  that  Hal's  horse  was  having  a  hard  time  of  it 
in  the  water.  He  was  struggling  with  all  his  might, 
and  the  rope  attached  to  his  bit  was  drawn  very  taut. 

"We  are  moving  too  fast  for  your  horse,  Hal.  He 
can't  swim  as  fast  as  the  caravel  is  moving.  Water  is 
not  the  natural  element  of  the  horse." 

"I  was  thinking  just  now  that  we  were  moving 
faster  than  at  the  first  of  it,"  replied  Hal,  as  he  went 
aft  to  attend  to  the  horse. 

"  You  are  right,  Hal ;  they  have  applied  more 
force,  and  I  think  we  must  be  making  about  three 
miles  an  hour,  which  is  pretty  fast  for  a  clumsy 
craft  of  this  sort." 


124  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"But  what  can  I  do  for  my  horse?  He  is  strug 
gling  to  keep  up,  and  we  are  dragging  him  by  the 
bit,"  said  Hal,  anxiously,  for  he  had  as  much  regard 
for  his  horse  as  he  had  for  Ned  or  me  ;  perhaps  more. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  you  can  do  ;  and  that  is 
to  let  him  loose.  He  will  swim  on  his  own  hook." 

"But  won't  he  turn  around  and  swim  back  to  the 
shore  we  have  just  left?"  asked  Hal,  doubtfully. 

"I  don't  believe  he  will.  He  knows  you,  and  he 
will  be  likely  to  follow  you.  We  are  about  half  way 
across  the  river,  and  it  is  no  farther  for  him  to  go 
ahead  than  it  is  to  go  back.  Let  go  of  the  cord,  for 
he  will  lose  his  pluck  if  he  is  dragged  through  the 
water  in  that  way." 

Every  horse  was  provided  with  a  halter  having  a 
rope  about  twelve  feet  long,  so  that  they  could  feed 
when  picketed  for  the  night  or  at  dinner  time.  The 
cord  was  a  hemp  line,  small  but  very  strong.  In 
swimming  a  horse  from  a  boat  this  line  was  passed 
through  the  bit-ring,  and  both  ends  made  fast  to  the 
boat,  or  held  in  the  hand  of  the  person  leading  the 
animal.  Hal  cast  off  one  end  of  the  line,  and  hauled 
in  on  the  other.  In  this  way  the  horse  went  free, 
with  no  line  dragging  in  the  water. 

The  steed  neighed  and  snorted  when  he  was  free, 
as  if  to  express  his  satisfaction  at  the  change.  He 
continued  to  follow  the  caravel,  though  he  soon  fell  a 
considerable  distance  behind  it.  He  swam  easily 
now,  for  he  had  not  the  contending  current  in  the 
wake  of  the  boat  to  bother  him.  I  advised  Hal  to 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  125 

keep  in  the  stern  of  the  caravel  where  his  steed  could 
see  him,  and  then  he  would  be  less  likely  to  think  of 
returning  to  the  other  side. 

The  caravel  moved  in  a  position  about  diagonal 
with  the  course  across  the  river.  I  saw  that  we 
should  strike  the  shore  at  the  point  where  the  men 
were  watching  the  progress  of  the  boat.  We  had 
passed  beyond  the  strongest  section  of  the  current, 
and  were  now  approaching  the  shore.  The  men  were 
chatting  and  laughing,  and  seemed  to  be  in  excellent 
spirits.  But  I  could  not  yet  see  the  power  that 
moved  the  caravel  through  the  water. 

"  Our  voyage  is  about  up,  Hal,  and  we  are  not 
likely  to  have  to  cross  so  large  a  river  as  this  again." 

"For  my  part  I  should  not  mind  making  a  trip 
for  a  thousand  miles  down  river  in  this  craft.  My 
horse  has  no  notion  of  giving  up  and  going  to  the 
other  side,  as  I  feared  he  might." 

"If  he  had  got  turned  around  in  the  current  so  that 
he  could  have  seen  the  other  side  he  would  probably 
have  gone  in  that  direction.  But  we  are  all  right. 
The  only  thing  that  troubles  me  now  is  how  we  are 
to  get  the  caravel  out  of  the  river.  If  we  strike  the 
beach  angling  it  will  be  difficult  to  drag  it  out.  I 
wish  we  had  some  way  to  set  her  square  on  the  slope 
of  the  river's  bank." 

"Perhaps  we  can  throw  her  stern  around,  for  there 
isn't  much  current  here,"  suggested  Hal,  as  he  run 


out  the  steering  oar. 


All  four  of  us  went  to  work  with  it,  but  could  not 


126  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

produce  much  impression  upon  it.  Still  we  did 
something.  I  had  my  signal  ready  for  the  boat  to  be 
stopped,  when  I  was  somewhat  startled  by  the  report 
of  a  gun  on  the  shore.  I  turned  hastily  to  ascertain 
what  had  called  forth  this  shot,  when  I  saw  that  the 
caravel  had  stopped.  The  craft  was  still  afloat,  and 
I  had  not  intended  to  give  the  signal  until  the  wheels 
touched  the  bottom. 

The  bow  of  the  caravel  was  within  forty  feet  of  the 
dry  land,  from  which  the  water  deepened  rapidly. 
The  boat  had  hardly  stopped  before  Ned  ran  down  to 
the  Avater  side,  followed  by  all  the  men.  As  they 
halted  they  gave  three  rousing  cheers  expressive  of 
the  satisfaction  they  felt  at  the  safe  passage  of  the  ark 
across  the  river.  I  thought  they  had  better  have  re 
served  their  demonstration  until  we  had  transformed 
the  boat  into  a  wagon  on  the  dry  land. 

"  We  are  all  right,  judge  ! "  shouted  Ned. 

"Don't  crow  until  you  are  out  of  the  woods." 

This  seemed  to  me  to  be  the  most  appropriate 
reply  to  the  hail  and  the  cheers.  The  boat  had 
drifted  down  stream  since  she  stopped,  until  I  heard 
the  off'  forward  wheel  strike  the  sand,  or  rather  I  felt 
it,  and  thought  I  heard  it. 

"Haul  down  on  that  line,  if  you  please,"  said  Ned, 
in  a  quiet  tone. 

All  hands,  including  the  rebellious  Kentuckian, 
seized  the  rope  with  a  will,  and  hauled  it  down  over 
the  bank.  As  soon  as  Ned  found  a  knot  where  the 
rope  had  been  joined,  for  it  was  in  several  pieces,  he 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  127 

untied  it  and  sent  a  peon  into  the  water  to  bring  the 
end  to  me. 

"Make  it  fast  to  the  stern,  if  you  please,  judge," 
added  Ned. 

The  other  end  of  this  piece  was  fast  to  the  end  of 
the  pole,  as  it  had  been.  At  a  certain  point  in  this 
part  of  the  rope  Ned  made  fast  the  end  which  was 
attached  to  the  power. 

"Fire  your  gun,  Linn,"  said  Ned;  and  then  I 
learned  that  the  first  shot  had  been  a  signal  to 
suspend  the  action  of  the  power. 

The  rope  tautened,  and  it  was  plain  that  the  power 
was  operating  again.  This  force  seemed  to  be  ex 
erted  at  a  point  farther  up  the  river  than  at  any  time 
before.  The  rope  straightened,  and  the  stern  of  the 
caravel  moved  up  stream.  When  the  craft  was  at 
right  angles  with  the  shore  it  began  to  move  ahead, 
and  the  forward  wheels  took  the  ground  together. 
The  pole  came  out  of  the  water,  and  the  bow  began 
to  rise. 

"  Fire  !"  shouted  Ned.  "Bring  down  the  horses, 
boys,"  he  added  to  the  vaqueros. 

At  my  lead  the  four  on  board  gave  three  cheers, 
for  the  job  was  really  done.  Ned  leaped  on  board, 
and  I  grasped  his  hand  and  commended  his  skill  and 
tact.  It  was  the  twelve-horse  team  at  the  end  of  the 
rope  that  had  drawn  us  across  the  Colorado. 


CHAPTEK  XV. 

HIGH    COMMENDATION    OF    NED.  —  UAL  MAKES  A  REMARK.  — 
HITCHING   ON. — OUT   OF   THE   RIVER.  —  A   LONELY   WALK. 

—  THE  SMOKE  IN   THE   DISTANCE. — A    MEETING   DESIIIED. 

—  A     FLIGHT      OF      ARROWS.  —  A     HOSTILE      DEMONSTRA 
TION. —  A    FRIENDLY    TREE. — A   RULE    OF    THE     CAMP. — 
A     LONG     WAIT.  —  THE     BEST   TIME     I    EVER  MADE.  —  THE 
RETURN.  —  AN   EXPEDITION   PLANNED.  —  A    START. 

T  WAS  greatly  pleased  with  Ned  Brown's  manage- 
•*  ment  of  the  machinery  by  which  we  had  crossed 
the  river,  and  I  did  not  hesitate  to  express  myself  to 
this  effect  in  the  presence  of  the  entire  party.  The 
boy  blushed  as  he  always  did  when  anything  was  said 
in  his  praise,  though  commendation  was  as  pleasant 
to  him  as  to  any  other. 

"  The  men  obeyed  his  orders  ;  that  is  the  secret  of 
the  whole  of  it,"  added  Hal. 

I  took  no  notice  of  this  remark,  though  I  intended 
at  the  proper  time  to  explain  to  Hal  why  the  men  so 
readily  obeyed  Ned  and  disregarded  his  orders.  The 
arrival  of  the  horses  in  charge  of  the  vaqueros 
changed  the  current  of  the  conversation.  The  men 
proceeded  to  hitch  on  the  horses. 
128 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  129 

The  wheel-horses  had  to  be  backed  into  the  water 
before  they  could  be  attached  to  the  caravel ;  and  I 
judged  that  the  hind-wheels  had  not  yet  touched 
bottom.  The  whole  twelve-horse  team  was  hitched 
to  the  ark.  Any  ordinary  team  could  not  have  drawn 
the  heavy  load  up  the  steep  bank ;  and  it  was  for 
such  emergencies  as  the  present  that  I  had  doubled 
the  number  of  horses. 

The  big  team  must  pull  the  caravel  out  of  the 
river,  or  something  would  break.  I  had  no  fear  of 
the  harness,  for  it  had  all  been  made  under  my  own 
direction,  and  was  twice  as  strong  as  was  needed  for 
ordinary  purposes.  At  a  signal  from  me  the  drivers 
started  the  team.  The  dozen  horses  had  to  lie  down 
to  it  to  start  the  ark,  for  the  forward  wheels  had 
doubtless  sunk  down  deep  into  the  sand.  But  the 
caravel  moved. 

As  it  advanced  up  the  steep  bank  the  stern  sank 
down,  as  the  bow  had  on  the  other  side.  But  the 
water  did  not  come  within  six  inches  of  the  top 
of  the  iron,  and  none  ran  into  the  craft.  We 
were  certainly  out  of  the  woods  now,  figuratively, 
though  we  were  about  to  enter  them  again  on  this 
side  of  the  mighty  river. 

In  a  few  minutes  more  we  were  on  the  level  ground 
above.  The  men  mounted  their  horses,  and  the 
march  was  resumed.  At  sundown  we  halted  for  the 
night.  The  weather  was  warm,  and  we  hardly 
needed  blankets,  though  we  used  them.  In  honor 
of  our  safe  passage  across  the  river,  I  directed  the 


130  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

cooks  co  provide  a  better  supper  than  usual  from  our 
salt  provisions,  consisting  of  fried  ham  and  a  pudding, 
something  like  the  plum-duff  of  the  sailors.  While 
it  was  in  preparation,  I  took  a  stroll  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  camp.  I  was  inclined,  after  the  day's  journey, 
was  over,  to  be  alone  awhile,  and  this  luxury  was  not 
possible  in  the  camp. 

When  I  thought  I  had  walked  half  a  mile  from 
the  camp,  I  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  wander  any 
farther. 

I  was  on  the  point  of  turning  about  when  I  saw 
smoke  ahead  of  me.  I  concluded  that  it  was  a  party 
of  emigrants  going  west,  as  such  were  continually 
crossing  this  region.  It  might  be  the  abode  of  some 
daring  settler  who  was  trying  to  make  a  home  in  this 
wild  region,  though  a  cabin  of  any  kind  was  rarely 
found.  A  regular  stage  line  had  been  established 
across  this  region,  and  it  might  be  a  station  of  the 
company,  though  they  were  generally  placed  in  more 
defensible  positions. 

I  was  rather  curious  to  know  what  the  smoke  pro 
ceeded  from.  If  it  was  the  camp  of  emigrants  it  was 
pleasant  to  pass  the  time  of  day  with  them,  and 
useful  to  ascertain  the  condition  of  the  country,  so  far 
as  the  Indians  were  concerned,  through  which  we 
were  to  pass.  I  concluded  to  extend  my  walk  a 
little  farther. 

I  had  gone  but  a  few  steps  before  three  arrows 
fell  near  me,  and  I  heard  a  noise  in  the  bushes  off  to 
the  left  of  me.  I  need  hardly  say  that  I  was  startled 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  131 

by  this  hostile  demonstration.  The  arrows  had  been 
discharged  at  me,  and  my  life  was  in  peril. 

I  had  not  intended  to  come  so  far  when  I  started, 
and  did  not  mean  to  go  out  of  sight  of  the  camp.  I 
had  left  my  gun  in  the  caravel,  where  the  boys  and  I 
slept ;  and  this  was  a  violation  of  my  own  rule, 
that  no  one  should  leave  the  vicinity  of  the  camp 
unarmed. 

I  had  a  revolver  in  my  belt ;  but  such  weapons  are 
of  little  use  except  when  brought  into  close  quarters 
with  the  enemy.  As  it  was,  I  could  not  even  see  my 
foe  ;  I  only  knew  that  there  were  Indians  near  me.  I 
concluded  that  it  was  a  wandering  band,  and  there 
were  no  means  of  telling  to  what  tribe  they  belonged, 
or  of  knowing  anything  of  their  character.  If  they 
were  Apaches,  which  was  improbable  in  this  section, 
my  chances  of  escape  were  not  one  in  a  hundred. 

I  saw  a  large  tree  growing  on  a  plain  not  far  from 
me,  and  I  backed  along  until  I  reached  its  friendly 
shelter.  I  got  behind  it,  examined  my  revolver,  and 
prepared  to  make  the  best  fight  I  could  against  the 
foe  if  I  was  pursued. 

But  no  Indians  came  in  sight.  I  listened  atten 
tively  until  I  was  satisfied  there  was  a  large  body  of 
savages  in  the  bushes.  As  yet  they  did  not  offer  to 
pursue  me,  and  I  was  rather  perplexed  to  understand 
their  intentions  in  regard  to  me.  The  sun  had  gone 
down,  and  it  would  soon  be  dark.  The  supper  must 
be  ready  by  this  time,  for  I  remained  behind  the  tree 
all  of  half  an  hour.  I  was  afraid  if  I  came  out  from 


132  THE   YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

behind  the  tree  a  volley  of  arrows  might  contain  an 
unlucky  one  that  would  make  an  end  of  me. 

But  I  was  getting  to  be  impatient,  though  I  knew 
that  some  Indians  would  remain  in  ambush  all  day 
and  all  night  waiting  for  an  expected  victim.  I  had 
almost  made  up  my  mind  to  take  my  chances,  and 
make  my  way  back  to  the  camp,  when  I  saw  a  large 
body  of  savages  filing  across  an  open  space.  They 
appeared  not  to  be  aware  of  my  presence,  and  were 
moving  in  the  direction  of  the  smoke  I  had  seen.  I 
watched  them  till  they  disappeared  behind  the  bushes. 

I  considered  what  I  had  seen,  and  tried  to  put 
things  together  so  that  they  would  mean  something. 
I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  smoke  was  from 
a  camp  of  emigrants,  or  travellers,  and  that  these 
Indians  were  moving  to  make  an  attack.  Perhaps 
the  innocent  people  in  the  camp,  possibly  women 
and  children  along  with  them,  would  be  murdered 
in  cold  blood  for  the  plunder  of  their  stock  and 
stores. 

In  my  present  situation  I  was  helpless,  and  could 
not  assist  or  even  warn  them.  I  was  practically  a 
prisoner  myself.  But  the  peril  of  my  unknown 
neighbors  fired  my  blood  with  indignation,  and  I  was 
determined  to  do  something.  It  was  probable  that 
the  region  was  patrolled  by  Indians  on  the  watch,  and 
it  was  possible  that  the  eye  of  some  concealed  savage 
had  been  upon  me  during  the  whole  time  I  had 
fancied  myself  concealed  behind  the  tree. 

I  could  stand  the  suspense  no  longer.     I  had  not 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  133 

much  respect  for  the  marksmanship  of  these  Indians, 
and  I  determined  to  run  the  risk  of  being  pinned 
down  with  an  arrow.  I  faced  in  the  direction  of  our 
camp,  and  then  broke  into  the  smartest  run  I  could 
get  up,  though  I  am  too  heavy  to  be  a  fleet  runner. 
I  am  sure  that  on  this  occasion  I  made  the  best  time 
I  had  ever  made  in  my  life.  I  expected  every 
moment  that  an  arrow  would  bring  me  up  and  that  I 
should  be  called  upon  to  part  with  my  scalp.  The 
thought  was  not  pleasant,  and  I  continued  to  run  long 
after  all  my  wind  seemed  to  be  gone. 

I  reached  the  camp.  No  one  had  even  missed  me, 
and  I  concluded  not  to  say  anything  about  having 
wandered  away  without  my  gun.  I  don't  understand 
to  this  day  how  those  arrows  happened  to  be  dis 
charged  at  me,  for  it  was  contrary  to  all  the  princi 
ples  of  Indian  strategy.  They  must  have  been  fired 
by  some  indiscreet  young  braves  in  violation  of 
orders,  or  the  savages  must  have  mistaken  my  inten 
tions.  I  had  turned  around  at  about  the  time  the 
arrows  came,  and  they  may  have  supposed  I  was 
going  to  the  camp  of  their  intended  victims.  They 
may  have  fancied  that  I  saw  them,  judging  by  my 
movements  when  I  began  to  retrace  my  steps. 

It  was  too  early  for  an  attack  upon  the  camp  of  the 
emigrants,  if  that  was  what  was  intended,  for  the 
Indians  would  not  be  likely  to  break  into  the  camp 
till  its  occupants  were  asleep.  It  would  be  time 
enough  to  assist  and  warn  the  camp  an  hour  or  two 
hence,  for  it  could  not  be  more  than  a  mile  distant. 


134  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

The  supper  was  all  ready,  and  I  allowed  the  men  to 
eat  it  before  I  said  anything  of  what  was  required  of 
them.  It  was  not  a  drinking  feast,  and  the  meal 
would  be  finished  in  half  an  hour  at  the  most. 

The  party  had  not  been  worked  hard,  and  had  been 
well  fed  ;  consequently  they  were  in  excellent  spirits. 
When  I  had  finished  my  supper  I  proceeded  to  lay 
out  my  plans  for  the  protection  of  the  travellers, 
whatever  they  were.  I  considered  whether  we  should 
go  mounted  or  on  foot.  The  Indians  had  no  horses 
when  I  saw  them,  but  they  might  supply  themselves 
from  the  stock  of  their  victims. 

I  decided  that  we  must  go  mounted,  for  we  might 
have  to  pursue  the  Indians  if  they  made  a  successful 
raid  in  order  to  recover  the  stolen  stock  or  plunder. 
While  the  men  were  still  gathered  in  messes  at  the 
meal  I  read  off  the  names  of  a  dozen  of  them  who 
were  to  compose  the  party.  I  mentioned  Ben 
Cavendish  first,  and  I  intended  that  he  should  take 
the  command.  Then  I  explained  the  duty  in  which 
they  were  to  engage. 

"You  didn't  read  my  name,  judge,"  said  Ned 
Brown,  rushing  up  to  me  as  I  put  the  paper  on  which 
I  had  noted  down  the  names  into  my  pocket. 

"  Ben  Cavendish  is  to  command  this  party,  Ned." 

"  I  don't  expect  to  command  this  or  any  other  party, 
but  I  want  to  go  and  see  the  fun,"  replied  Ned. 

"Ben  is  not  a  great  Indian  killer." 

"I  don't  care  about  killing  any  Indians,  I  don't 
consider  it  good  sport." 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  135 

ft  Get  your  horse,  then,  and  bring  up  mine  while 
you  are  about  it." 

I  could  not  refuse  anything  to  Ned  after  the 
achievements  of  the  day,  though  I  always  felt  better 
when  the  boys  were  safe  in  camp. 

The  boy  rushed  to  the  horse-camp,  where  those 
detailed  for  service  had  gone  before,  and  soon  re 
turned  riding  his  own  and  leading  my  horse.  Ben 
had  already  reported  himself  ready,  and  I  was  ex 
plaining  to  him  the  position  of  the  camp  of  the 
travellers. 

"I  reckon  them  Indians  seen  you?"  said  he,  inter 
rogatively. 

"  Of  course  they  did,  and  fired  three  arrows  at  me." 

"  Kin  you  tell  me  so  that  I  might  fix  it  where  this 
camp  is,  jedge?" 

"It  lies  exactly  east  of  us,  as  nearly  as  I  can  make 
it  out  from  the  course  I  had  to  walk.  I  went  to  the 
northeast  and  then  to  the  southeast  in  order  to  avoid 
a  rugged  hill.  When  I  got  the  arrows  the  Indians 
were  about  northwest  of  the  camp." 

"That's  all  I  want,  jedge.  I  kin  find  that  camp 
with  my  eyes  shet  now.  When  you  tell  things 
by  the  pints  of  the  compass  I  allus  knows  whar  I  am. 
We  needn't  wait  no  longer.  Is  General  Buster  goin'  ? 
Ef  he  is  I  reckon  'tain't  no  use  for  me  to  go.  He  kin 
chaw  up  all  the  Indians  this  side  of  the  Mississippi, 
jest  as  he  would  a  piece  of  fat  bacon,"  said  Ben, 
smiling ;  and  I  am  sure  he  had  not  the  slightest  ill- 
feeling  towards  the  boy. 


136  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"Hal  Hyde  is  not  going  this  time." 

I  was  not  inclined  to  talk  with  him  about  the  disci 
pline  the  boy  needed.  I  hoped  to  be  able  to  cure 
Hal  of  his  besetting  fault ;  but  I  did  not  wish  to 
lessen  his  self-respect  —  only  his  vanity. 

We  rode  away  from  the  camp,  Ned  taking  his 
place  at  my  side,  for  he  wanted  to  know  something 
about  the  nature  of  the  expedition. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

BEN  CAVENDISH'S  VIEW  OF  THE  SITUATION.  —  SPECULA 
TIONS  AS  TO  THE  TRIBES. — NOT  APACHES.  —  A  ROARING, 
THUNDERING  NOISE.  —  BEN'S  FIGURING.  —  FORMING  THE 
LINE. —  OUR  INSTRUCTIONS.  —  THE  INDIAN  ON  THE  WHITE 

HORSE. —  BEN'S    SHOT. —  THE    MADDENED    HERD. —THE 

INDIANS     IN     THE    REAR.  —  A      BREAK.  —  STRANGERS.  —  A 
SLEEPY   WATCH. 

TT  was  a  bad  night  for  an  Indian  raid,  for  the  moon 
••*-  was  shining  brightly,  and  it  was  almost  as  light  as 
in  the  daytime.  Yet  the  "  poor  Indian  "  had  to  steal 
his  horses  and  plunder  the  camps  when  they  came  in 
his  way,  whether  the  moon  shone  or  not.  But  then 
the  watch  was  likely  to  be  less  vigilant  on  such  a  night. 
Ben  had  decided  that  the  Indians  would  approach 
the  camp  from  the  westward,  for  the  reason  that  the 
campists,  having  come  in  from  that  direction,  would 
apprehend  less  danger  from  that  quarter.  When  I 
heard  them  they  were  probably  getting  into  position 
for  the  night's  work.  Ben  thought  it  likely  that  the 
travellers  had  a  considerable  number  of  horses  at  their 
camp  or  the  Indians  would  not  be  making  such 
extensive  preparations,  and  would  not  have  waited 
until  night  to  bag  a  few  of  them. 

137 


138  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"I  don't  reckon  them  Indians  is  Apaches,"  said 
Ben,  as  we  rode  along. 

"  This  is  not  their  country." 

"  Their  country  is  almost  anywhar  between  the 
Colorado  and  the  Rio  Grande,"  added  Ben,  who  had 
travelled  through  this  region  before  and  was  familiar 
with  the  country. 

"  Why  do  you  think  they  are  not  Apaches  ?  " 

"  Apaches  wouldn't  wait  till  night ;  they'd  gone  in 
afore  this  time.  They  are  wonderful  smart  critters, 
them  Apaches  is,"  added  Ben  ;  but  I  found  that  his 
estimate  of  their  prowess  was  not  quite  so  high  as 
that  of  Jerry  Benson,  wrho  thought  that  white  men 
were  hardly  a  match  for  them. 

"  I  reckon  these  hyer  must  be  Yumas,  the  same 
critters  we  bounced  on  t'other  side  of  the  river.  If 
they'd  been  Apaches  they  wouldn't  let  you  off 
without  taking  your  scalp,"  added  Ben. 

tc  We  have  seen  Apaches  and  know  something 
about  them,"  said  Ned.  "  Suppose  we  find  any  silver 
in  the  place  where  we  are  going  to  look  for  it,  do  you 
think  the  Indians  will  let  you  stay  there  ?  " 

"  I  don't  intend  to  ask  them  ;  but  if  we  find  a  mine 
we  shall  know  where  to  look  for  it  when  we  want  it. 
I  have  no  idea  of  going  to  work  upon  it  on  this  trip." 

"What's  that?"  exclaimed  Ned,  suddenly. 

"I  don't  see  anything." 

"  I  don't  see  anything,  but  I  hear  something," 
added  Ned. 

I  got  the  sound  a  minute  later.     It  was  a  sort  of 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  139 

distant  thundering,  with  an  attending  roar.  But  it 
was  at  a  considerable  distance  from  us,  and  in  the 
direction  in  which  I  had  seen  the  smoke  of  the  camp. 
It  was  possible  that  the  Indians  had  attacked  the 
party  of  travellers  ;  but  we  could  not  hear  the  report 
of  guns,  and  the  white  men  would  be  likely  to  use 
their  weapons. 

"I  reckon  I  didn't  figger  it  out  right,  jedge,"  said 
Ben  Cavendish,  reining  in  his  steed.  ''  The  pesky 
critters  have  gone  to  work  on  this  side,  and  they're 
rushin'  down  this  trail." 

"  What  is  that  noise  we  hear  ?  " 

"The  Injens  is  runnin'  off  the  stock,"  replied  Ben, 
calmly.  "I  reckon  we  shall  hev  to  shoot  some  o' 
the  critters." 

I  knew  how  the  Apaches  raided  the  horses  of  par 
ties,  and  it  was  probable  the  Yurnas,  if  these  were  of 
that  tribe,  did  the  business  in  humble  imitation  of 
their  more  powerful  and  desperate  neighbors.  The 
roaring  sound  came  nearer  to  us,  and  it  began  to  be 
distinguished  by  particular  sounds.  I  could  hear  the 
Indians  yell  like  so  many  demons. 

Ben  formed  his  men  in  a  line  across  the  trail  in 
which  the  marauders  were  approaching.  He  placed 
himself  in  the  middle,  and  Ned  and  myself  on  the 
extreme  right  of  the  line,  perhaps  because  he  thought 
this  would  be  the  safest  place.  The  Kentuckian  then 
proceeded  to  instruct  his  men  as  to  what  was  to  be 
done. 

He  told  us  the  horses  would  be  frightened  out  of 


140  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

their  wits  by  the  yelling  of  the  Indians  in  the  rear  of 
them.  He  instructed  our  party  to  fall  in  with  the 
horses,  and  retreat  with  them.  Then,  when  he  had 
silenced  the  Indians,  the  vaqueros  of  the  party  were 
to  get  in  ahead  of  the  frightened  animals,  catch  as 
many  of  them  as  they  could,  and  head  off  the  others. 

The  unearthly  din  came  nearer  and  nearer  to  us ; 
and  we  soon  got  a  view,  in  the  moonlight,  of  the 
herd  of  horses  the  thieves  were  driving  before  them. 
On  a  white  horse  at  the  head  of  them  rode  a  naked 
Indian.  He  was  yelling  and  gesticulating,  probably 
to  the  band  behind  him. 

There  appeared  to  be  about  twenty  horses,  though 
I  had  no  chance  to  count  them.  The  white  horse  was 
evidently  a  leader  in  the  herd,  and  wherever  he  went 
the  others  would  follow.  They  were  running  at  the 
top  of  their  speed,  and  of  course  there  was  no  such 
thing  as  checking  their  mad  flight. 

As  they  approached,  Ben  Cavendish  raised  his  gun 
to  his  shoulder.  As  soon  as  it  came  to  the  level  of 
his  eye  he  fired.  He  did  not  fuss  about  his  aim,  nor 
waste  a  single  instant  of  time. 

"  There  goes  the  Indian,"  exclaimed  Ned,  as  the 
savage  on  the  white  horse  dropped  oif,  and  went 
under  the  feet  of  the  fleeing  herd. 

"  He  don't  know  what  hurt  him." 

In  accordance  with  the  orders,  the  men  dropped 
into  the  herd  of  horses,  and  put  their  steeds  to  the 
height  of  their  speed.  Their  animals  were  fresh,  and 
they  were  better  horses,  so  that  the  vaqueros  had  no 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  141 

difficulty  in  getting  to  the  front  of  the  retreating 
column. 

The  country  was  open  in  just  this  place,  though 
there  was  every  variety  of  scenery  to  be  seen  around 
us.  We  started  our  horses  with  the  others,  and 
moved  in  the  same  direction,  but  we  were  to  keep  on 
the  flank  of  the  herd.  Ben  and  Jerry  soon  worked 
over  to  the  side  where  we  were.  The  Kcntuckian  as 
he  rode  along  at  a  breakneck  speed  kept  his  eye  on 
the  rear  of  the  herd  part  of  the  time. 

"  Halt !  "  shouted  he,  suddenly. 

At  the  same  instant  he  raised  his  rifle  and  fired  a 
second  time.  I  heard  a  yell  in  the  rear,  and  I  had  no 
doubt  he  had  knocked  over  another  Indian.  The 
shot  was  followed  by  a  hideous  yell,  and  it  sounded 
to  me  like  a  knell  of  disappointment. 

The  savages  must  have  heard  the  first  report  of 
Ben's  rifle,  and  seen  the  body  of  the  man  that  had 
been  shot  oif  the  white  horse.  This  second  shot 
seemed  to  be  enough  for  them.  The  Kentuckian 
loaded  his  rifle  quicker  than  I  had  ever  seen  it  done 
before.  Ned  and  I  took  aim  at  individuals  in  the 
savage  band. 

"  Hold  on,  jedge,"  quietly  interposed  Ben.  "  Tain't 
no  use  to  waste  shot  and  lead  on  them  critters." 

Before  I  could  cover  my  man  with  the  muzzle  of 
my  gun,  the  whole  band,  not  less  than  fifty  in 
number,  broke  and  fled  from  the  trail  into  the  bushes 
to  the  north  of  them. 

"  You  won't  see  no  more  o'  them  critters  to-night," 


142  THE    YOUNTG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

said  Ben.  "  Them  is  Yumas,  and  they  don't  want  no 
more  on't." 

"Is  the  fight  over,  Ben?"  asked  Ned,  evidently 
disappointed  at  the  insignificance  of  the  brush  we  had 
had. 

"  The  fight's  all  over  for  this  time,  sonny.  But  the 
work  isn't,  and  I  reckon  we  had  better  be  ketchin' 
them  bosses." 

Ben  started  his  steed  in  the  direction  of  the  herd. 
The  animals  had  abated  their  speed  when  the  yelling 
of  their  pursuers  ceased.  We  found  the  vaqueros 
had  obeyed  their  orders  to  the  letter,  and  secured 
about  one-half  of  the  herd,  holding  them  by  the  long 
halters  the}'  carried.  When  they  came  to  a  stand, 
the  herd  were  not  inclined  to  desert  their  companions 
that  were  under  restraint,  and  we  easily  secured  the 
rest  of  them. 

"  There  is  somebody  coming  in  the  rear,"  said  Ned, 
whose  ears  were  the  best  in  the  party. 

"  Stiddy,  there,  all  on  ye  !  "  called  the  commander 
of  the  party.  "Don't  speak,  and  don't  make  no 
noise." 

"  What's  coming  now,  Ben  ?  " 

"  I  reckon  the  owners  o'  them  bosses  is  comin'  arter 
their  stock,"  replied  Ben.  "  I  don't  know  who  nor 
what  they  be  ;  but  if  you  make  a  rumpus  hyer  they 
will  pitch  in  and  fire  on  us." 

"We  can  sound  a  bugle  call,  and  that  will  tell 
them  that  we  are  not  Indians." 

"  That's  an  idee,  jedge.     Blow  the  horn." 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  143 

Ned  carried  his  brass  horn  slung  by  a  worsted  cord 
over  his  shoulder,  and  I  instructed  him  to  blow  the 
call,  which  was  all  he  could  blow  at  this  stage  of  his 
learning. 

The  notes  sounded  clear  in  the  still  air  of  the 
evening  ;  and  presently  we  heard  a  shrill  whistle  as  a 
return  signal.  Three  men  soon  appeared,  armed 
with  guns. 

"  Have  you  seen  any  horses  come  over  this  way  ?  " 
asked  one  of  them. 

"  About  twenty  on  'cm,"  replied  Ben,  quietly. 

"All  our  horses  got  away  a  while  ago,"  added  the 
speaker.  "  We  have  come  out  to  look  for  them. 
What  were  you  yelling  so  like  all-possessed  for  ?  " 

"  We  don't  yell.  Heve  you  a  notion  that  your 
hosses  walked  off  theirselves,  stranger?"  asked  the 
Kentuckian. 

"  As  they  were  gone,  we  supposed  they  did." 

"  I  reckon  you  ain't  much  used  to  travellin'  in  the 
Injen  country,  stranger?"  added  Ben,  with  some 
thing  like  pity  in  his  tones. 

M  We  have  come  across  from  Texas,  and  we  haven't 
seen  any  Indians  yet ;  that  is,  only  what  we  see  by 
the  side  of  the  road  and  in  the  settlements,"  replied 
the  traveller. 

"Then  you  heve  been  uncommon  lucky.  I  reckon 
you  ain't  seen  none  to-night ;  but  we  heve,  about  fifty 
on  'em  ;  and  they  was  stampedin'  your  hosses.  You 
wouldn't  seen  nothin'  more  on  'em  ef  the  jedge  hadn't 
happened  to  git  an  idee  of  what  was  goin'  on." 


144  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

"You  don't  say  so!  Is  it  possible,  Indians ?n 
exclaimed  the  speaker  for  the  three  strangers. 
"Well,  I  heard  a  great  noise,  but  I  thought  the 
horses  made  it  all.  But  who  is  the  judge  ?  " 

"That  is  what  they  call  me  sometimes."  I  rode 
up  to  the  party. 

"I  am  glad  to  know  you,  judge.  I  had  no  sus 
picion  that  we  had  been  raided  by  Indians.  We  have 
not  had  a  particle  of  trouble  before.  We  have  twenty 
horses,  and  we  are  taking  them  on  for  the  stations  of 
the  overland  stages.  I  hope  we  shall  not  lose 
them." 

"  I  don't  think  you  will.  Did  you  see  anything  of 
a  dead  Indian  or  two,  a  short  distance  back?" 

"  I  saw  nothing,  but  we  heard  a  while  ago  what  we 
now  know  to  be  the  crack  of  a  rifle." 

"  Where  were  you  when  you  first  heard  the  noise  ?  " 

"  We  were  just  rolling  ourselves  up  in  our  blankets 
to  go  to  sleep ;  for  we  move  off  as  soon  as  it  is  light 
in  the  morning,"  replied  the  speaker.  But  I  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  they  had  got  farther  than  rolling 
themselves  up  in  the  blankets,  and  had  gone  to  sleep. 
Certainly  no  men  with  their  eyes  and  ears  open  could 
have  failed  to  know  what  was  going  on  at  their  horse- 
camp. 

The  men  followed  us,  and  we  soon  came  to  the 
vaqueros,  who  had  by  this  time  secured  all  the 
horses.  I  told  the  leader  that  two  of  the  Indians 
were  shot,  and  they  were  not  inclined  to  return  to 
their  camp.  They  spent  the  night  with  us. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  STAGE  COMPANY'S  PARTY.  —  IN  MOTION  AGAIN.  —  THE 
RIO  GILA.  —  THE  HALF-CIVILIZED  INDIANS.  —  THEIR  ARTS 
AND  IMPROVEMENTS.  —  THE  SILVER  MINE  REGION.  —  THE 
WANDERING  APACHES. —THE  TWO  TRAILS.  —  A  RUGGED 
COUNTRY. —DON  RAMON  ORTIZ. — TROUBLES  IN  MEXICO. 
—  THE  WANT  OF  A  LETTER.  —  A  DANGEROUS  REGION. — 

THE    SENTINEL'S    SIGNAL.  —  APPROACHING    WAGONS. — 
FRIENDS. — A  STRANGE  LOAD. 

TT  was  strange  to  me  that  the  stage  company's  party 
-*-  had  not  encountered  any  hostile  Indians  in  their 
long  march  from  Texas,  when  we  had  met  two  bands 
that  day.  But  we  might  not  see  another  Indian  for 
a  week  or  two.  The  three  men  were  well  armed,  but 
they  were  thoroughly  alarmed  when  they  ascertained 
what  a  narrow  escape  they  had  made,  and  how  near 
they  had  come  to  losing  all  their  horses. 

I  sent  several  men  with  them  to  bring  up  their 
baggage.  Early  in  the  morning  they  left  us,  and 
expressed  their  gratitude  in  warm  terms  for  the  ser 
vice  we  had  rendered  them.  We  left  the  camp  as 
soon  as  we  had  taken  our  breakfast. 

We  followed  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Gila,  and  passed 
through  fertile  regions  and  sandy,  stony  plains  by 

145 


146  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

turns.  We  went  for  ten  days  without  any  incident 
worthy  of  record.  We  passed  through  many  villages 
of  Papago  and  Pirno  Indians,  and  those  of  our  party 
who  had  never  visited  this  region  before  were  greatly 
interested  in  observing  the  fruits  of  the  semi-civiliza 
tion  of  these  tribes. 

All  that  we  saw  was  an  old  story  to  me  and  the 
boys,  though  I  was  interested  in  the  irrigation  of 
these  people,  at  a  different  season  from  what  I  had 
seen  it  before.  We  did  not  go  out  of  our  way  to  see 
the  relics  of  the  former  people  who  had  dwelt  in  this 
region,  though  we  saw  what  came  in  our  way. 

We  enjoyed  the  grand  scenery  which  sometimes 
came  into  view,  and  made  light  of  the  difficulties  of 
the  way  when  the  territory  was  singularly  uninviting. 
We  cultivated  the  acquaintance  of  the  Pimos,  who 
are  generally  friendly  to  the  whites.  They  are 
peaceable,  though  they  are  the  most  formidable 
enemies  of  the  Apaches,  and  seem  to  have  the  ability 
to  contend  successfully  against  them,  as  no  other 
tribes  have.  Their  arts  are  peculiar  and  their  skill 
and  bravery  make  the  people  interesting. 

But  we  were  approaching  the  region  where  we 
were  to  search  for  the  silver  mines,  old  or  new, 
as  the  case  might  be.  This  was  not  properly  the 
country  assigned  to  the  Apaches,  though  many  of 
the  eight  tribes  composing  this  savage  people 
either  dwell  in  or  visit  it  for  purposes  of  plunder 
and  destruction. 

There  were  two  trails  across  this  part  of  Arizona, 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  147 

one  by  which  we  had  come  from  the  Colorado,  and 
the  other  by  the  way  of  Tucson,  on  and  near  which 
the  Southern  Pacific  railroad  has  since  been  built. 
Most  of  the  events  of  our  silver-seeking  expedition 
occurred  in  the  vicinity  of  the  point  we  had  now 
reached,  where  our  search  began  in  earnest. 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  country  was  a  per 
fect  earthly  paradise,  though  there  were  mountain 
gorges,  and  deep  chasms  in  the  earth  that  were  abso 
lutely  appalling  to  the  visitor.  I  had  sojourned  for 
a  few  days  in  an  Apache  village  not  a  great  distance 
from  our  present  locality,  though  I  had  come  to  it 
from  another  direction,  and  I  had  but  a  very  indefi 
nite  idea  of  its  exact  position. 

We  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Salinas  river  on  the 
tenth  day  from  the  camp  near  Fort  Yuma.  The 
character  of  the  country  began  to  change  and  to 
become  more  rugged  and  uneven.  Still  we  found 
beautiful  flats  on  which  our  horses  had  the  sweetest 
of  feed.  I  could  have  floated  the  caravel  most  of  the 
way  in  the  river,  at  the  present  high  stage  of  the 
water ;  but  it  would  hardly  have  paid  to  drag  it  with 
the  horses  against  the  current. 

When  I  met  Don  Ramon  Ortiz  the  year  before  we 
had  talked  a  great  deal  about  the  silver  mines  of  this 
region.  His  daughter  had  been  captured  by  the 
Indians,  and  Hal  had  played  a  part  in  restoring  her 
to  her  father.  Don  Ramon  desired  very  much  to 
visit  the  region  where  we  were  at  the  present  time  ; 
but  Mexico  was  shaken  by  the  revolution  against  the 


148  •     THE   YOUNG    SILVEK    SEEKERS. 

occupancy  of  the  French,  who  had  placed  Maximilian 
on  the  throne  as  emperor. 

He  could  not  leave  his  daughter  at  home,  and  he 
had  written  me  that  she  would  come  with  him,  in 
spite  of  the  Indians,  if  he  concluded  to  visit  the 
locality  indicated.  I  had  waited  in  vain  to  receive 
another  letter  from  him,  inquiring  for  one  every  time 
I  went  or  sent  to  San  Diego.  But  the  mail  service  in 
Northern  Mexico,  as  well  as  through  the  wild  regions 
of  Arizona,  was  very  uncertain.  The  Indians  cap 
tured  whatever  came  in  their  way,  and  doubtless  they 
had  destroyed  the  contents  of  many  a  pouch. 

As  I  did  not  hear  from  Don  Ramon,  I  concluded 
that  he  did  not  intend  to  visit  the  locality  of  the  silver 
mines,  and  that  the  troubles  in  his  own  country  would 
not  permit  him  to  leave  home.  Hal  had  waited  for 
the  coming  of  the  letter  with  even  more  interest  than 

o 

I  did  ;  and  early  in  the  season  he  had  counted  upon  a 
visit  from  Juanita  at  Buena  Vista.  His  only  hope 
now  was  in  going  to  Chihuahua,  which  was  to  have 
been  done  after  the  visit  to  the  silver  locality.  It 
might  yet  be  done. 

But  I  had  long  since  given  up  all  hope  of  seeing 
Don  Ramon.  He  was  familiar  with  silver  mining, 
and  I  was  not,  though  I  had  learned  something  about 
it  from  him.  If  we  found  a  silver  mine,  especially 
the  one  about  which  we  had  talked  so  much,  I 
thought  it  probable  that  I  should  carry  the  news  of 
the  discovery  to  Chihuahua  myself.  According  to 
Don  Ramon,  who  had  been  a  student  of  history  in 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.     .  149 

relation  to  this  subject,  there  was  a  silver  mine  of 
extraordinary  richness  in  this  locality,  which  had 
been  abandoned  by  the  Spaniards  after  some  of  their 
reverses  in  earlier  days.  I  had  considered  the  matter 
so  much  myself  that  I  had  become  a  sort  of  enthu 
siast.  If  I  had  not  been,  I  should  not  have  under 
taken  this  expedition  at  the  present  time,  when  all 
the  reports  concurred  in  representing  the  Indians  as  in 
a  very  uneasy  state  of  mind,  to  use  the  mildest  terms. 

The  Rio  Gila  had  lost  its  placid  character,  for  we 
had  entered  the  mountain  region.  Around  us  were 
lofty  and  ragged  peaks,  and  there  were  numerous 
canons,  on  a  small  scale  at  first,  as  we  advanced. 
We  had  not  yet  reached  the  locality  where  we  were 
to  make  the  long  halt  to  search  for  the  abandoned 
mine,  or  where  we  could  seek,  with  much  chance  of 
success,  for  a  new  one. 

Moreover  this  was  regarded  as  a  dangerous  region, 
on  account  of  the  rugged  character  of  the  country, 
which  affords  favorable  fields  for  the  operations  of 
the  wandering  or  the  local  Apaches.  In  fact,  it  was 
involved  in  so  much  peril  that  most  of  the  emigrant 
trains  took  the  new  trail,  passing  through  Tucson, 
where  the  railroad  is  now  located. 

We  began  to  find  no  little  difficulty  in  getting  the 
caravel  over  the  ground,  for  the  heavy  rains  had 
made  many  wash-outs  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  and 
the  rocks  were  at  all  times  rather  serious  impedi 
ments.  With  less  horses  than  I  had  furnished  for  it 
I  should  have  been  compelled  to  abandon  it,  or  give 


150  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

up  the  object  of  our  search.  It  was  still  doubtful 
whether  we  should  be  able  to  get  it  through  the 
mountains. 

We  encamped  for  the  night,  near  the  river,  shortly 
after  we  entered  the  mountain  region.  Sile  Carter 
had  posted  guards  at  the  most  exposed  points,  so 
that  our  camp  should  not  be  attacked,  or  our  stock 
stampeded,  without  seasonable  notice.  Only  trained 
Indian  fighters  were  employed  in  this  service,  but 
Ned,  Hal  and  myself  took  our  turns  with  the  others. 

We  had  eaten  our  suppers  and  were  thinking  of 
turning  in,  as  the  sailors  say,  for  keeping  a  regular 
watch  nights  had  made  us  all  willing  to  sleep  when 
we  got  the  chance,  when  the  report  of  a  gun  at  the 
most  easterly  point  of  the  camp  startled  us  all.  We 
sprang  to  our  feet  and  seized  our  guns  and  revolvers, 
which  were  always  placed  within  reach  when  we 
slept.  Ned  Brown  was  on  duty  at  the  place  from 
which  the  report  came,  and  I  was  quite  anxious  about 
him.  A  band  of  Apaches  would  make  short  work  of 
him,  if  any  of  them  crawled  on  the  ground  within 
reach  of  him  without  being  seen. 

Sile  Carter,  who  had  charge  of  this  part  of  our 
daily  routine,  detailed  six  men  to  hasten  to  the 
exposed  point.  I  ran  with  Ben  Cavendish  in  the 
direction  indicated.  We  heard  nothing  more  in  the 
shape  of  an  alarm ;  but  Ned  was  cool-headed,  and 
did  not  make  a  signal  for  nothing.  As  we  advanced, 
we  discovered  the  boy  at  his  post,  and  I  was  relieved 
of  my  fears. 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  151 

"What  is  the  matter,  Ned?"  I  inquired,  as  I  came 
to  his  position. 

"  There  is  something  approaching  the  camp  from  up 
the  river,"  replied  Ned.  "I  obeyed  the  order  to 
give  notice  of  any  unusual  sound  ;  and  if  you  listen 
you  will  hear  a  noise  that  indicates  the  approach  of 
teams.  I  have  heard  the  rumble  of  wagon-wheels  for 
the  last  fifteen  minutes." 

We  all  listened,  and  distinctly  heard  the  sounds 
described  by  the  sentinel.  The  wagons  were  still  at 
a  considerable  distance,  and  were  moving  very  slowly. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  fear,"  said  Ned ;  and  he  ad 
vised  us  to  return  to  our  blankets. 

"Not  yet,  sonny,"  replied  Ben.  "It  mought  be 
that  a  gang  of  Apaches  heve  captured  them  wagins, 
and  are  fetchin  'em  this  way.  We  don't  stretch  out 
till  we  know  for  sartin  who's  alonger  them  wagins." 

Before  the  wagons  came  in  sight  two  men  marched 
within  hail  of  the  sentinel.  Ned  brought  his  gun  to 
his  shoulder. 

"Who  goes  there?"  demanded  Ned. 

"Friends,"  replied  the  strangers. 

"Advance,  friends,  and  explain  who  you  are," 
added  the  guard. 

"  We  are  a  party  moving  west.  We  have  lost  most 
of  our  horses,  and  are  looking  for  a  good  place  to 
camp  for  the  night,"  the  stranger  explained. 

"  Pass,  friends,"  added  Ned,  satisfied  that  the  party 
were  not  Apaches,  or  dangerous  persons  of  any  kind. 

The  train  consisted  of  two  wagons  and  six  men. 


152  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

Only  two  horses  were  attached  to  each  wagon,  and 
though  they  were  descending  a  slope,  they  appeared 
at  times  to  be  all  the  animals  could  manage.  We 
walked  back  to  our  camp  with  the  strangers,  who 
seemed  to  be  very  intelligent  men. 

"  How  did  you  lose  your  horses  ?  " 

"We  had  four  to  each  wagon,  and  four  that  we 
rode,  for  the  other  two  men  are  teamsters.  Night 
before  last,  though  we  kept  a  man  on  watch  all  night, 
we  were  stampeded  by  Apaches,  and  eight  of  our 
animals  were  lost,"  replied  Major  Galloupe,  who  was 
the  principal  man  of  the  party. 

"  Are  you  sure  they  were  Apaches  ?  " 

"I  have  no  doubt  of  it,  for  I  had  seen  them  the 
day  before.  We  fired  upon  them,  and  killed  one  of 
them,  and  I  know  he  was  an  Apache.  We  made  a 
hard  fight,  and  saved  four  of  the  horses  by  killing 
that  Indian  ;  for  his  companions  lost  time  in  trying  to 
pick  up  the  one  we  knocked  over." 

"  Where  are  you  bound?  " 

"  We  are  going  to  start  a  ranch  in  Southern  Cali 
fornia." 

"  Your  wagons  seem  to  be  heavily  loaded." 

"Each  of  them  contains  a  bronze  howitzer,  which, 
with  the  carriage  and  the  ammunition,  weighs  about 
fifteen  hundred." 

It  was  a  strange  load  for  such  a  party. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

AMAZING  FOLLY. — MAJOR  GALLOUPE.  —  AN  OLD  ARTILLERY 
MAN. —  A  GOOD-NATURED  MAN. — GUNS  AND  AMMUNI 
TION.  —  INTO  THE  RIVER.  —  A  SHAMEFUL  WASTE  OF 
PROPERTY.  —  AN  OFFER.  —  THE  DELIGHTED  OWNER.  — 
A  GOOD  TRADE.  —  PREPARING  FOR  THE  JOURNEY.  —  A 
NIGHT  ALARM.  —  ON  THE  MARCH  AGAIN.  —  A  BEAUTIFUL 
VALLEY.  —  THE  ENEMY  IN  SIGHT. 

TXTHAT  under  the  sun  induced  you  to  haul  a  ton 
*  *    and  a  half  of  cannon  and  ammunition  across  the 
continent  ?  " 

I  was  absolutely  amazed  at  what  seemed  to  me  to 
be  the  folly  of  the  intended  ranchmen  in  bringing  two 
heavy  guns  across  the  country.  If  they  were  needed 
to  protect  the  estate  of  the  settlers  they  could  have 
been  obtained  on  the  Pacific  coast ;  but  such  pieces 
were  useless,  it  appeared  to  me,  for  Indian  fighting, 
and  there  was  no  other  to  be  done. 

"  I  dare  say  that  Major  Galloupe  is  sensitive  about 
it,  but  I  can  give  the  reason,"  interposed  Mr.  Bailey, 
with  a  smile.  "  The  major  was  an  artillery  officer  in 
the  Mexican  war,  and  that  is  the  reason.  He  looks 
upon  rifles  and  muskets  as  popguns." 

153 


154  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  That's  it,  exactly,"  added  Major  Galloupe,  good- 
naturedly. 

"  But  we  got  along  very  well  until  the  Indians  got 
away  with  eight  of  our  horses.  The  major  is  so  good- 
natured  that  we  have  had  a  good  time,  even  sinee  we 
lost  the  most  of  our  stock,"  added  Mr.  Bailey.  "  The 
major  proposed  to  drop  our  heavy  guns  into  the 
river." 

"  We  shall  have  to  do  that  yet,"  laughed  the  mili 
tary  gentleman,  who  was  certainly  in  a  remarkably 
good  humor  over  his  misfortune.  "  We  may  as  well 
do  it  here  as  at  any  other  place.  I  have  made  up  my 
mind  not  to  transport  them  another  rod." 

"You  don't  mean  so,  major?"  demanded  Mr. 
Bailey. 

"  What's  the  use  ?  I  wanted  the  guns  when  we  got 
to  California.  But  I  do  not  think  we  have  one 
chance  in  a  hundred  of  getting  them  there.  Besides, 
I  don't  want  them  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
Apaches,  for  I  am  afraid  they  would  learn  how  to 
use  them.  I  suppose  you  could  not  spare  me  four 
horses,  could  you,  sir?" 

"  I  should  be  very  glad  to  oblige  you,  Major  Gal- 
loupe  ;  but  four  additional  horses  would  not  do  the 
business  for  you.  I  have  only  one  wagon,  but  we 
hitch  twelve  of  the  best  draught  animals  I  could  find 
on  my  ranch  to  it ;  and  I  don't  carry  any  heavy  guns, 
either." 

"  Then  you  don't  think  four  horses  could  get  our 
wagons  through  ?  " 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  155 

"Not  with  the  guns  and  ammunition  in  them. 
Although  I  can  hardly  spare  them,  I  should  part  with 
four  horses  in  order  to  help  you  out ;  but  I  might  as 
well  go  back  as  part  with  eight  of  my  stock." 

"  I  am  afraid  the  two  horses  will  not  be  enough  to 
haul  the  wagons  even  with  our  scanty  store  of  pro 
visions  and  stores  for  the  new  ranch,"  added  the 
major,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  We  will  get  out 
the  guns  to-night,  and  drop  them  into  the  river." 

"I  think  we  need  horses  more  than  we  do  guns," 
said  Mr.  Bailey.  "  We  have  only  six  horses  left  to 
start  our  ranch  with." 

I  had  an  idea,  and  I  was  diligently  considering  it 
while  the  two  intending  ranch-owners  were  consulting 
about  their  situation.  I  explained  to  them  the  nature 
of  the  roads  over  which  we  had  passed,  and  I  was 
quite  satisfied  that  two  horses  to  each  wagon  would 
not  be  able  to  haul  the  wagons  alone  a  portion  of  the 
way. 

"  Well,  judge,  I  suppose  you  will  let  some  of  your 
strong  men  assist  us  to  dump  them  into  the  river," 
said  the  major,  when  he  had  fully  made  up  his  mind. 

"  But  it  seems  to  be  a  great  pity  to  destroy  so 
much  property." 

"  We  had  better  destroy  the  property  than  sacrifice 
ourselves  in  a  vain  attempt  to  get  through  with  the 
guns  and  ammunition,"  laughed  the  major. 

"  I  have  an  offer  to  make  you ;  but  I  hope  you 
won't  consider  that  I  am  taking  an  advantage  of  the 
circumstances." 


156  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  Certainly  not,  judge.  I  shall  throw  the  property 
into  the  river ;  and  if  I  can  sell  the  guns  and  ammu 
nition  for  a  hundred  weight  of  bacon,  what  I  get  will 
be  clear  gain,"  chuckled  the  major. 

"  Are  you  short  of  provisions  ?  " 

"  We  are ;  and  if  we  don't  kill  an  occasional  bear, 
deer,  or  antelope  we  shall  know  what  it  is  to  be 
hungry  before  we  get  to  the  Colorado  river." 

"  But  even  a  hundred  pounds  of  bacon  added  to  the 
rest  of  your  stores  will  be  too  much  for  your  four 
horses." 

"  Oh,  I  mean  to  pitch  one  of  the  wagons  into  the 
river  with  the  guns,"  answered  Major  Galloupe,  as 
though  it  were  the  best  joke  of  the  season. 

"That  would  be  a  good  move  in  your  circum 
stances  ;  but  I  will  try  to  better  the  circumstances. 
I  will  give  you  four  horses  and  two  hundred  pounds 
of  hams  and  bacon  for  the  guns,  ammunition  and  the 
spare  wagon  and  harnesses." 

Major  Galloupe  sprang  towards  me  with  extended 
arms,  and  I  thought  he  intended  to  embrace  me  ;  but 
he  only  caught  each  of  my  hands  in  one  of  his  own. 

"  My  dear  judge,  you  have  made  me  the  happiest 
man  in  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Gila !  "  he  exclaimed  as 
he  wrung  my  hands,  and  actually  danced  with  joy  in 
front  of  me.  "  Four  horses  and  two  hundred  pounds 
of  bacon  !  My  dear  judge,  arn't  you  cheating  your 
self  ?  I  did  not  expect  to  obtain  the  full  value  of  the 
guns ;  and  I  see  you  haven't  a  horse  here  that  is 
worth  less  than  two  hundred  dollars  in  the  States." 


THE   YOUNG   SILVEK    SEEKERS.  157 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  think  I  am  cheating  you." 

w  But  the  guns  are  very  unsalable  property  in  this 
region,"  added  the  soldier.  "  I  was  thinking  this 
afternoon  that  I  never  lost  any  guns  in  the  war  —  I 
suppose  it  don't  make  any  difference  to  you  if  I  had 
— and  I  thought,  if  I  had  to  throw  the  pair  into  the 
Gila,  they  would  be  the  first  guns  I  ever  lost.  But  I 
am  coming  out  a  rich  man  !  " 

"  Hardly  a  rich  man,  though  I  think  your  guns 
would  have  been  an  elephant  on  your  hands  in  the 
southern  part  of  California.  Then  I  understand  that 
you  accept  my  offer  ?  " 

"Accept  it?  Why  my  dear  judge,  the  offer  is 
princely,  and  I  shall  be  grateful  to  you  as  long  as  I 
live!"  exclaimed  Major  Galloupe.  "You  are  the 
most  unselfish  man  I  ever  met  in  the  whole  course  of 
my  life.  Of  course  the  guns  are  of  no  use  to  you, 
and  you  are  merely  taking  them  to  oblige  a  poor  and 
distressed  fellow-creature." 

"  I  hope  to  make  the  guns  serviceable  to  me,  though 
I  certainly  should  never  have  thought  of  bringing 
them  to  this  region." 

"  In  other  words,  you  are  willing  to  profit  by  the 
major's  folly,"  added  Mr.  Bailey. 

"  I  wouldn't  give  the  meanest  horse  on  my  place 
for  the  guns  and  ammunition  in  California ;  but  it  is 
possible  that  we  may  remain  in  this  part  of  the 
country  for  two  months  or  longer ;  and  I  may  find 
the  guns  useful  in  defending  my  position." 

"  That  is  a  candid  statement,"  laughed  the  major. 


158  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

w  I  hope  they  will  be  useful  to  you  ;  in  fact,  I  know 
they  will  be,  if  you  are  going  to  stay  in  this  part  of 
the  country.  I  hope  you  will  blow  all  the  Apaches 
up  so  high  that  they  will  never  come  down  again. 
You  have  my  best  wishes,  and  I  am  satisfied  that  you 
will  make  good  use  of  the  playthings.  I  am  sorry  I 
am  not  going  to  be  with  you  to  help  use  them.  By 
the  way,  have  you  any  artillerymen  in  your  party?" 

K  You  bet ! "  exclaimed  Ben  Cavendish,  who  was 
standing  by,  with  several  other  of  the  party,  listening 
to  the  conversation.  "  I  reckon  some  o'  Ave  uns  fit 
into  the  Mexican  war.  I  sarved  in  Bragg's  battery. 
Buck  Sykes  was  in  another." 

w  I  was  at  Magenta  and  Solferino,  in  the  French 
artillery,"  added  Emile  Pont. 

"  I  shall  fight  mit  der  artillery  in  dor  next  Avar  wot 
I  goes  into ;  and  so  I  knoAvs  all  about  dem  dings," 
added  Jacob  Yager. 

"  I  think  AVC  are  provided  Avith  artillerists  enough, 
though  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you  remain  with  us, 
Major  Galloupe.  But  Ave  must  attend  to  loading  and 
unloading  the  VATagons  to-night." 

Sile  Carter  called  out  all  the  party  Avho  were  not  on 
guard  duty.  We  loaded  all  the  provisions  and  stores 
of  the  major's  party  into  one  wagon,  adding  to  the 
load  the  quantity  of  meat  specified.  My  men,  under 
the  direction  of  Ben  Cavendish,  handled  the  guns  as 
though  they  were  playthings,  as,  indeed,  they  Avere  to 
them,  for  they  were  delighted  to  have  such  effectiAre 
engines  of  destruction  for  our  intended  campaign. 


THE  YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  159 

A  portion  of  the  ham  and  bacon  was  transferred 
from  the  caravel  to  the  wagon  I  had  bought  in  the 
trade,  and  the  guns  were  loaded  into  the  iron  ark, 
though  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  lift  them  over  the 
high  sides.  We  slept  well  after  our  extra  exercise 
at  this  work.  At  midnight  there  was  an  alarm  at  the 
upper  post,  and  all  hands  turned  out.  Linn  Hoover, 
who  was  the  sentinel  at  this  point  at  the  time,  was 
sure  there  was  a  large  body  of  Indians  in  the  pass 
just  above  us.  He  declared  that  they  all  ran  off  as 
soon  as  he  fired  his  gun  for  the  signal. 

Not  many  of  us  believed  that  Linn  had  seen  or 
heard  any  Indians  ;  but  subsequent  events  led  me  to 
the  conclusion  that  he  was  right.  We  were  soon 
asleep  again,  though  we  put  an  extra  sentinel  in  the 
exposed  position.  We  were  not  disturbed  again  that 
night ;  but  it  was  only  because  the  marauders  did  not 
find  us  in  a  good  position  for  a  raid  upon  our  stock. 

The  Apaches,  or  whatever  they  were,  had  taken 
our  measure  by  this  time.  Thirty-five  horses,  and  a 
wagon  so  heavily  loaded  as  the  caravel  appeared  to 
be,  must  be  a  rich  prize.  Doubtless  they  saw  how 
many  men  we  had ;  but  the  Apaches  do  not  hesitate 
to  stampede  the  horses  of  a  squadron  of  United  States 
cavalry  if  they  get  the  opportunity. 

In  the  morning  our  guests  breakfasted  with  us, 
and  we  assisted  them  in  arranging  the  new  order  of 
things  in  their  transportation.  I  gave  them  four 
good,  serviceable  horses.  The  major  and  his  partner 
rode  two  of  them,  and  six  others  were  harnessed  to 


160  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

the  wagon.  The  military  gentleman  bade  us  adieu 
in  the  most  affectionate  manner,  and  promised  to  call 
at  Buena  Vista  when  we  returned. 

As  soon  as  they  were  gone,  we  devoted  our  atten 
tion  to  our  own  affairs.  The  twelve  draught-horses 
were  retained  upon  the  caravel.  I  dismounted  half  a 
dozen  of  the  vaqueros,  and  hitched  their  horses  to  the 
wagon.  I  allowed  five  of  the  best  of  them  to  keep 
their  horses,  and  the  others  were  to  act  as  teamsters, 
riding  on  the  wagon  horses. 

By  seven  in  the  morning  we  were  in  motion  again. 
It  was  up  hill,  and  the  trail  was  very  crooked  and 
rough.  But  our  wagons  were  so  heavily  powered 
that  we  got  along  without  any  difficulty. 

Our  route  was  still  through  a  valley  ;  but  not  far 
from  the  Gila,  the  mountain  rose,  often  in  rugged 
precipices.  The  region  looked  as  though  it  had  been 
rent  by  earthquakes,  or  other  convulsions  of  nature. 
Occasionally  we  saw  deep  canons  extending  through 
the  steeps  for  we  knew  not  how  far. 

Far  above  us,  on  what  seemed  to  be  an  unapproach 
able  plateau,  we  saw  green  fields  and  verdant  pas 
tures.  Again  this  elevated  plain  was  bare  of  all  signs 
of  vegetation.  The  valley  in  which  we  travelled  was 
as  beautiful  as  a  dream  of  paradise. 

While  I  was  enjoying  this  lovely  scene,  and  rhap 
sodizing  with  the  boys  over  it,  the  advance  guard 
halted,  and  made  signs  to  the  main  body.  Followed 
by  Hal  and  Ned,  I  rode  forward. 

"  Indians  !  "  shouted  Rolf  Brooks. 

I  saw  them. 


CHAPTEE  XIX. 

AFRAID  OF  INDIANS.  —  THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  CIVILIZATION.  — 
THE  INDIANS  ON  THE  BLUFF.  —  LIKE  A  PROCESSION.  —  A 
LONG  COLUMN.  —  WHAT  DOES  IT  MEAN  ?  —  VARIOUS  SUR 
MISES.  —  AN  ODD  SHOW.  —  AN  ESTIMATE  OF  NUMBERS.  — 
APACHES  BEYOND  A  DOUBT.  —  THEIR  STRATEGY.  —  THEIR 
VILLAINOUS  CHARACTER.  —  REVIEW  OF  AN  OLD  AFFAIR. 
—  DOUBLING  ON  US. 


rPHEY  are  not  within  half  a  mile  of  us  !  "  exclaimed 

-  Ned,  rather  impatiently,  as  we  looked  upon  the 
foe. 

M  They  are  near  enough.  I  hope  they  won't  come 
any  nearer  to  us." 

"  Why,  judge,  you  seem  to  be  afraid  of  Indians," 
said  Ned,  laughing. 

"  Perhaps  I  am,  my  boy  ;  at  any  rate,  I  am  not  at 
all  anxious  to  quarrel  with  them." 

"I  suppose,  if  we  should  come  down  to  the  truth 
of  the  case,  this  country  belongs  to  them,  and  we  are 
really  the  intruders,"  added  Hal,  though  this  was  far 
from  being  his  usual  style  of  remark. 

"  I  think  they  are  entitled  to  a  reasonable  share  of 
it;  but  I  see  no  reason  why  a  few  hundred,  or  a  few 

161 


162  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

thousand  Indians  should  monopolize  a  region  big 
enough  to  afford  sustenance  to  millions  of  people. 
They  must  give  way  to  the  advance  of  civilization. 
We  have  bought  the  land  of  them  when  they  were 
reasonable,  and  the  government  is  able  and  willing  to 
take  care  of  all  the  Indians  in  the  nation.  A  dozen 
or  a  hundred  men  might  claim  the  whole  world,  as 
nobles  did  in  feudal  times.  The  progress  of  the 
world  is  not  to  be  stopped  by  a  few  hundred  Indians, 
though  it  may  seem  like  a  hard  case  for  them  to  be 
deprived  of  their  lands  ;  but  such  has  been  the  history 
of  the  world  —  the  stronger  taking  from  the  weak  as 
their  needs  required." 

"But  what  are  those  Indians  about?"  asked  Ned, 
who  did  not  seem  to  be  in  a  mood  to  consider  the 
philosophy  of  civilization. 

The  Indians  we  saw  were  on  a  high  bluff,  at  least 
two  hundred  feet  above  the  valley  in  which  we  were 
travelling.  A  column  of  them  seemed  to  be  march 
ing  along  the  edge  of  the  bluff.  It  looked  like  a  pro 
cession.  They  were  in  threes  or  fours  for  the  most 
part ;  but  they  moved  in  better  and  more  systematic 
order  than  I  had  observed  in  savages  before.  A  few 
of  them  had  muskets,  but  most  of  them  had  only 
bows  and  arrows  and  clubs. 

"What  does  all  that  mean,  judge?  "  asked  Ned, 
after  we  had  watched  the  marching  for  some  time. 

"  I  don't  know  :  you  are  as  wise  as  I  am." 

"  But  two  or  three  hundred  of  them  have  passed 
already.  How  many  do  you  suppose  there  are  of 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  163 

them  ?  I  never  saw  so  many  Indians  together  before 
since  I  came  into  this  country." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  was  thinking, "  added  Hal, 
and  both  of  the  boys  were  deeply  impressed  with  the 
number. 

"  I  don't  think  I  ever  saw  so  many  of  them  at  one 
time  before." 

"  Can  you  make  out  what  they  are,  judge?"  asked 
Ned. 

"  They  are  Apaches,  beyond  a  doubt.  I  have  seen 
too  many  of  them  to  be  mistaken." 

I  began  to  be  absolutely  amazed  at  the  length  of 
the  column  on  the  bluff.  We  had  been  observing 
them  for  all  of  half  an  hour,  and  I  was  sure  that  in 
this  time  over  a  thousand  Indians  had  come  in 
sight.  This  was  the  only  point  at  which  we  could  see 
them,  for  the  place  where  they  showed  themselves 
seemed  to  be  a  sort  of  valley  on  the  bluff. 

I  looked  ahead  to  see  in  what  direction  the  column 
was  moving,  but  not  an  Indian  was  to  be  seen  except 
in  this  place.  When  we  were  tired  of  watching 
them,  I  gave  the  order  for  our  party  to  move  on, 
for  no  portion  of  the  Indian  phalanx  appeared  to 
come  near  the  trail  we  were  following.  For  half  an 
hour  longer  the  column  was  in  sight.  We  passed  near 
enough  to  the  opening  in  the  cliff  to  see  them  quite 
distinctly. 

Though  our  long  teams  and  horsemen  made  quite 
an  imposing  display,  the  Indians  did  not  appear  to 
notice  us,  or  even  to  know  that  we  were  in  existence, 


164  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

They  marched  in  solemn  procession,  and  I  did  not 
observe  that  one  of  the  savages  turned  his  head. 

"That  is  the  oddest  show  I  ever  saw,"  said  Ned, 
after  we  were  weary  of  watching  the  procession. 

"How  many  do  you  suppose  there  are  of  them, 
judge?"  asked  Hal. 

"  A  thousand  Indians  are  a  great  many." 

"There  are  more  than  a  thousand  of  them,  judge. 
I  was  going  to  say  five  thousand,"  added  Hal. 

"If  we  should  count  all  we  have  seen,  I  should  say 
that  not  more  than  a  thousand  had  appeared." 

"At  least  two  thousand,"  said  Ned. 

"  I  think  not.  Even  a  thousand  of  them  is  an 
appalling  number." 

"  I  have  figured  it  up,  and  I  think  there  must  be 
at  least  two  thousand,"  continued  Ned.  "If  there 
are  four  in  a  section,  and  the 'sections  are  ten  feet 
apart,  a  thousand  of  them  would  reach  about  half  a 
mile  ;  and  they  have  been  marching  along  there  for  a 
full  hour." 

"You  must  be  right,  Ned,  for  figures  won't  lie 
when  properly  treated." 

The  boy's  calculation  appeared  to  be  correct ;  but 
how  two  thousand  Apaches  had  got  together  I  could 
not  imagine,  unless  they  were  on  the  eve  of  inaugu 
rating  a  general  war  against  the  whites.  But  even  if 
they  were  massed  for  such  a  purpose,  they  could 
hardly  have  been  so  stupid  as  to  make  this  wild 
region  their  rendezvous.  The  country  would  not 
feed  them,  and  they  could  not  operate  to  advantage 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  165 

here,  for  no  other  party  so  large  as  mine  was  likely 
to  come  in  their  way. 

I  could  not  solve  the  problem.  The  panorama  of 
marching  Indians  was  a  reality  beyond  a  doubt. 
While  my  reason  rebelled  at  the  idea  of  two  thousand 
Apaches  in  this  lonely  region,  Ned's  calculation,  what 
I  had  seen,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  party  had  seen, 
demonstrated  the  fact.  I  could  not  reason  it  out  of 
my  mind. 

It  seemed  very  strange  to  me,  and  contrary  to  all 
precedent  in  what  I  had  seen  of  Apache  strategy,  that 
they  should  show  themselves  as  they  had.  They  are 
more  like  snakes  than  any  other  human  beings  I  had 
ever  seen.  They  crawl  miles  upon  their  bellies  in 
order  to  take  their  victims  unawares.  They  conceal 
themselves  in  the  most  unexpected  places,  dropping 
down  from  the  cliffs  above,  or  springing  out  of  the 
ground,  upon  the  object  of  their  vengeance  or  plun 
der.  It  was  wholly  unlike  them  to  make  such  an 
exhibition  as  we  were  witnessing. 

Of  course  I  could  not  help  thinking  of  a  probable 
conflict  with  these  diabolical  fiends,  for  I  can  find  no 
better  name  for  them.  It  describes  them  better  than 
any  other  phrase  that  I  can  think  of.  I  had  seen 
them  at  their  work  of  pillage,  plunder  and  death,  and 
I  knew  all  about  them.  As  the  case  looked  now,  I 
was  not  sorry  that  I  had  the  two  bronze  howitzers  in 
the  caravel.  Just  then  I  thought  I  should  rather 
have  parted  with  a  dozen  more  horses  and  half  a  ton 
of  bacon  than  with  those  two  guns. 


166  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

We  had  not  even  the  Eio  Gila  between  us  and  this 
large  force  of  the  Indians.  They  were  in  the  moun 
tains  on  the  south  side  of  the  stream,  where  we  were 
travelling,  and  they  might  flock  out  upon  us  from  any 
of  the  canons  that  yawned  in  the  cliffs  on  our  right. 
And  this  was  very  near  our  halting  place,  where  we 
intended  to  spend  a  month  or  two  in  search  of  the 
silver  mine.  It  was  not  a  pleasing  prospect. 

"  We  can't  see  the  Indians  now,  but  I  suppose  they 
are  marching  still,"  said  Ned,  as  we  passed  out  of 
sight  of  the  opening.  "  I  haven't  any  doubt  we  shall 
have  to  fight  that  army,  or  a  part  of  it ;  have  you, 
judge?" 

"I  hope  not." 

"I  think  it  would  be  better  if  there  were  not  so 
so  many  of  them,"  added  Hal. 

"  Some  of  these  Indian  fighters  say  it  don't  make 
any  difference  how  many  there  are ;  that  they  can 
whip  all  that  can  stand  up  before  them,"  continued 
Ned. 

"  That  may  be  true  of  some  Indians  :  for  instance, 
such  as  we  encountered  while  we  were  crossing  the 
caravel  over  the  Colorado." 

"  But  isn't  true  of  the  Apaches,"  said  Ned. 

"  Certainly  not ;  and  the  man  who  speaks  lightly 
of  the  prowess  of  the  Apaches  don't  know  them,  or 
he  is  a  brag." 

"Don't  Ben  Cavendish  talk  in  that  way?"  asked 
Hal,  with  some  diffidence,  as  though  he  was  not  sure 
that  it  would  do  to  question  the  manners  or  the  action 


THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  167 

of  the  Kentuckian,  who  had  certainly  won  a  great 
reputation  for  his  deeds  and  good  management,  and 
who  was  exceedingly  popular  with  every  member  of 
the  party,  Hal  only  excepted. 

"  Ben  don't  talk  in  that  way.  He  grants  the  won 
derful  skill,  ability  and  endurance  of  the  Apaches, 
though  he  does  not  consider  them  invincible,  as  Jerry 
Benson  does." 

"  Some  of  the  party  said  he  looked  upon  the  Yumas 
with  contempt,"  added  Hal. 

"  He  didn't  consider  them  worth  his  powder  and 
lead;  and  he  was  right.  I  fired  my  gun,  and  at 
least  twenty  of  them  ran  away,  though  they  didn't 
see  me  at  all.  I  think  you  have  got  a  wrong  view 
of  the  Kentuckian,  Hal,  and  all  because  he  didn't 
obey  your  orders  on  a  certain  occasion." 

<r  I  wasn't  thinking  of  that,  judge,"  pleaded  Hal. 
"  A  good  general  takes  counsel  of  the  experienced 
men  under  his  command;  and  that  was  what  you 
ought  to  have  done  on  that  day.  With  a  man  of  his 
years  and  experience,  Hal,  you  were  too  overbearing. 
He  knew  where  the  Indians  were,  and  he  wanted  to 
show  you,  but  you  wouldn't  hear  him.  If  you  had 
listened  to  him,  and  consulted  with  him  he  would 
have  obeyed  you  every  time.  The  result  proved  that 
he  was  right  and  that  you  were  wrong.  The  Indians 
came  in  sight  just  where  he  said  they  were." 

"I  think  Ben  was  right  on  his  facts,  but  the  theory 
Was  all  wrong,"  answered  Hal,  mildly  ;  "  and  I  must 
say  he  has  behaved  remarkably  well  since  the  case  of 


168  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

discipline.      If  a  man  is  in  command  he  ought  to  be 
obeyed,  and  be  responsible  for  consequences." 

"  That  is  all  very  pretty ;  but  I  should  have  had  to 
take  all  the  consequences  of  a  failure  for  appointing  a 
boy  to  command." 

"How  is  it  in  the  army?" 

"  We  are  not  the  army  to  begin  with.  In  the  army 
they  educate  the  officers  for  years  in  the  art  of  war. 
When  I  sent  you  off  that  day,  I  did  not  think  of 
giving  you  the  command,  in  the  sense  you  use  the 
term.  When  a  party  goes  off  to  do  any  difficult 
duty  they  put  their  heads  together,  and  become  a 
sort  of  democratic  organization,  in  which  the  ablest 
man  comes  out  the  leader.  I  suppose  Ben  would 
obey  me  against  his  own  judgment,  if  any  great  dis 
aster  were  not  likely  to  follow.  But  I  often  give 
him,  Sile  Carter  and  Jerry  Benson  their  own  way, 
for  they  have  seen  more  of  Indians,  and  have  had  a 
wider  experience  of  this  kind  of  life  than  I  have  ;  and 
I  have  seen  a  hundred  times  more  of  it  than  you 
have." 

"  I  understand  the  matter  better  now  than  I  did 
then,"  replied  Hal,  coming  as  near  to  a  confession  as 
he  ever  did. 

I  had  hardly  finished  my  review  of  the  affair  at 
Fort  Yuma  before  Ben  Cavendish  and  Sile  Carter 
rode  back  to  our  position  in  the  line. 

"  Them  Injens  is  cloublin'  on  us?"  said  Sile. 

I  could  not  see  it,  but  I  was  ready  to  hear  the 
veterans. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

SOME     FAMILIAR    OBJECTS.  —  WHERE     THE     INDIANS     WERE. — 
BRINGING   IT   TO   A   FINE   POINT.  —  TWO-STKEAMS   CAMP.— 

SILE     CARTER'S     STRATEGY.  —  TWO    THOUSAND    INDIANS 

EXPLAINED.  —  AN     UNUSUAL     DISPLAY     FOR     APACHES.  - 
THE      RIVER. —  CASTLE       HILL. —THE     DIVIDING      CANON. 

OUR      PROPOSED      CAMP        GROUND.  —  A       CHANGE       OF 

COURSE.  —  LOWER  RIVER. 

WHAT  do  you  mean  by  doubling  on  us,  Sile?" 
Sile  Carter  looked  quite  serious  when  he  an 
nounced  his  interpretation  of  the  movements  of  the 
Indians.  Ben  Cavendish  appeared  to  be  as  cool, 
collected,  and  even  indifferent,  as  usual ;  but  his 
appearance  with  Sile  to  warn  me  spoke  for  itself. 
The  veterans  had  doubtless  come  to  a  conclusion  in 
regard  to  the  intentions  of  the  Apaches,  and  they  had 
come  to  advise  me  in  regard  to  the  conduct  of  the 
expedition. 

I  had  not  seen  the  Indians  or  heard  anything  of 
them  since  we  lost  sight  of  them  on  the  bluff,  where 
we  left  them  marching  in  solemn  stolidity.  I  could 
not  see  how  or  where  they  were  doubling  on  us ; 
and  I  so  expressed  myself  to  the  veterans. 

169 


170  THE   YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

lt  They  hain't  doubled  on  us  yet,  jedge  ;  hut  that's 
what  they  are  gwine  to  do,"  added  Ben,  positively. 
"  Ef  you  ride  on  ahead  a  piece  you  will  see  the  whole 
on't." 

"  I  halted  the  wagins  to  tell  you  how  things  were 
in  front,"  added  Sile. 

"  All  right ;  I  will  ride  to  the  front,  and  see  how  it 
looks." 

I  had  been  so  busy  lecturing  Hal  in  regard  to 
handling  the  men  that  I  had  not  taken  much  notice 
of  the  country  through  which  we  were  passing.  If 
I  had,  I  might  have  discovered  that  we  were  coming 
to  the  point  described  by  Don  Eamon  as  the  probable 
location  of  the  silver  mine.  When  I  passed  through 
this  region  before  I  did  not  notice  the  peculiarities 
of  the  location  with  a  view  to  identifying  it  again. 

When  Don  Eamon  described  it  to  me,  I  recognized 
the  place  at  once  as  a  spot  where  we  had  encamped 
for  the  night.  I  was  to  make  sure  of  it  by  two 
streams  that  flowed  into  the  Gila  on  its  left  bank, 
within  a  hundred  rods  of  each  other.  At  the  mouth 
of  the  first  stream  there  was  a  pear-shaped  island, 
about  five  rods  long  at  its  greatest  diameter.  I 
could  not  fail  to  identify  the  place  when  we  came  to 
it.  I  had  seen  one  or  two  objects  which  I  remem 
bered  in  connection  with  the  camp  at  Two-Streams, 
as  it  was  called  in  my  diary.  I  was  not  yet  sure 
that  we  were  near  the  two  streams.  I  could  not 
see  anything  in  the  immediate  vicinity  that  satisfied 
me  we  were  near  our  resting-place.  But  old  Jerry 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  171 

had  been  with  us,  and  he  told  Sile  that  this  was  the 
approach  to  the  two  streams.  At  my  former  visit  I 
had  not  particularly  noticed  the  topography  of  the 
country  any  further  than  I  have  mentioned  it.  With 
the  exception  of  the  two  streams  and  the  island,  the 
region  was  not  perceptibly  different  from  what  it  had 
been  since  we  left  the  Salinas  river. 

"Don't  you  see  that  crest  of  hills?"  said  Ben, 
pointing  to  the  elevations  beyond  the  bluff. 

"  I  see  them ;  and  they  are  about  what  we  have 
been  seeing  for  several  days. 

"It  was  on  that  bluff  that  we  see  them  Injens," 
continued  Ben. 

"Very  true,  but  that  was  some  miles  back." 
"  I  reckon  the  critters  is  somewhere  on  that  high 
ground,  jedge." 

"  No  doubt  of  it ;  but  as  the  line  of  hills  bent  to  the 
southward  of  us,  and  as  the  Apaches  have  had  to 
cross  canons,  and  get  over  a  good  many  hard  places, 
I  am  satisfied  that  they  are  at  least  a  couple  of  miles 
behind  us." 

"  Them's  jest  my  sentiments,  jedge ;  but  they 
inought  not  be  behind  us  much  longer." 

Ben  Cavendish  spoke  impressively,  and  I  was 
confident  that  he  and  Sile  had  discovered  a  real  peril 
in  our  path. 

"  We  hain't  got  no  time  to  fool,  jedge,"  added  Sile, 
with  a  great  deal  of  earnestness.  "  Do  you  know  the 
lay  of  the  land?" 

*  Only  in  a  very  general  way." 


172  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

"I  cal'late  we'd  better  bring  it  down  to  a  fine 
p'int.  The  river  bends  round  here  in  a  ring  almost. 
'  Tain't  more'n  a  mile  over  the  hills  to  the  river  again. 
If  we  foller  the  Gila,  it's  three  miles." 

"  We  camped  right  over  in  the  middle  of  that  bend 
the  last  time  we  was  here,"  said  Jerry,  who  had 
come  back  to  join  us  in  the  conference.  "  The  two 
streams  and  the  island  are  over  there." 

"Then,  that  is  the  place  where  we  shall  camp  for 
two  months,  or  thereabouts." 

Jerry  had  identified  the  Two-Streams  camp,  and 
I  was  satisfied  that  he  was  right.  We  were  within 
u  short  distance  of  our  destination. 

:r  We  may  as  well  go  along  and  get  in  camp  there." 

"  I  don't  reckon  that's  the  best  way,"  interposed 
Ben.  "  You  kin  let  the  head  of  the  line  rest  till  we 
come  up  with  it.  When  you  git  a  little  further  on, 
you  can  see  the  lay  of  the  land  better,  jedge." 

"All  right,  Ben ;  we  will  go  ahead  and  see  where 
we  are." 

The  Kentuckian  led  the  way,  and  we  followed,  Sile 
riding  at  my  side.  I  judged  from  the  concert  of 
action  among  them  that  the  three  veterans  had  talked 
the  matter  over  together  and  agreed  upon  what  was 
best  to  be  done.  But  I  began  to  recall  some  of  the 
landmarks  I  had  seen  before,  though  everything 
looked  quite  different  at  this  season,  with  a  full  river 
and  the  valley  covered  with  luxuriant  grass  and  foli 
age  around  us.  Much  of  the  earth  which  was  cov 
ered  with  water  now  was  bare  before. 


THE    YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS.  173 

"  We  cal'late  that  them  Injens  is  hurryin'  on,  and 
that  they  mean  to  take  us  at  this  next  camp  ;  and  they 
couldn't  find  a  better  place  to  give  us  fits  if  they 
looked  over  all  the  country  between  the  Rocky  and 
the  Coast  Mountains.  " 

"That  depends  a  great  deal  upon  how  we  locate 
our  camp.  If  I  remember  right,  there  is  no  way  to 
get  down  from  that  plateau  near  the  two-river 
camp." 

"  Tain't  very  near,  but  there  is  a  place,  and  I  cal' 
late  them  Injens  knows  where  it  is  jest  as  well  as 
they  know  how  to  steal  a  hoss,  "  replied  Sile,  warm 
ly.  "  We  want  to  strike  that  spot  afore  the  cut 
throats  git  there ;  and  we  hain't  got  rough  time  to 
spare." 

"  All  right,  Sile ;  if  it  is  the  proper  thing  to  go 
there  we  will  go;  but  I  want  to  look  the  ground 
over." 

"  That's  right,  jedge  ;    look  it  over." 

"If  we  have  to  fight  two  thousand  Indians,  Sile, 
we  want  to  be  in  position  to  do  it  to  the  best 
advantage." 

Sile  reined  in  his  horse  and  looked  at  me  with 
astonishment. 

"How  many,  jedge?"  he  asked,  and  I  saw  then 
that  there  was  a  smile  of  mischief  on  his  wrinkled 
face. 

"  Two  thousand  ;  Ned  Brown  estimated  the  num 
ber,  and  that's  what  they  make  it  out  to  be." 

w  Two  thousand  !  "  exclaimed  Sile.      "  Why,  bless 


174  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

your  heart,  jedge,  there  ain't  more'n  a  hundred  on 
'em,  if  there  is  that." 

"  Didn't  you  see  them  marching  by  that  opening  in 
the  bluff  for  more  than  an  hour,  Sile  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  I  seen  'em ;  and  Ben  Cavendish  and 
me  laughed  at  'em.  Taches  don't  show  theirselves 
unless  they  can  make  sunthin  by  it." 

"That  was  what  bothered  the  boys  and  me  —  it 
was  so  unlike  the  Apaches  to  show  themselves." 

"  Well,  jedge,  they  meant  to  skeer  us  to  death ; 
and  they  expect  we'll  give  in  now  as  soon  as  we  see 
'em.  They  are  comin'  arter  us ;  that  circus  they 
showed  us  is  as  sure  a  sign  as  a  ring  round  the  moon  ; 
and  I  cal'late  they  fixed  on  this  place  ahead  for  the 
strike." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that  circus  ;  and  why  did 
you  and  Ben  laugh  at  it  ?  " 

"  That  was  nothin'  on  airth  but  a  trick.  They  kept 
marchin'  the  same  Injens  afore  us  all  the  time  ;  and  I 
cal'late  every  one  on  'em  showed  hisself  from  twenty 
to  forty  times.  That's  the  hull  on't,  jedge,  as  sure 
as  you  was  born,  and  I  was  born  afore  you  was." 

"  I  thought  it  might  be  some  sort  of  a  stratagem." 

"  Ben  says  he's  seen  'em  do  that  sort  of  thing  be 
fore.  Here  we  be,  jedge,  at  the  head  of  the  line." 

"  The  river  winds  clean  round  three  miles,"  said 
Jerry.  "Do  you  see  that  bluff  stickin'  out  into  the 
flat?" 

"I  remember  that  hill,  for  I  took  particular  notice 
of  it  when  we  were  leaving  the  Two-Streams  camp." 


THE    YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  175 

"  It  is  cut  off  from  the  high  ground  by  a  deep  cut, 
what  you  call  a  canon." 

"I  call  it  a  canon  (can-yon),  Jerry." 

"Well,  there  it  is,  jedge,  without  no  callin',"  added 
Jerry,  nettled  at  my  correction  of  his  pronunciation. 

"  The  canon  divides  that  hill  out  on  the  flat,  with 
the  sides  chopped  off  till  they  are  right  up  and  down, 
from  the  string  o'  hills." 

"  I  see  how  it  is,  though  I  knew  nothing  of  its  for 
mation  before." 

"  One  o'  them  streams  runs  right  along  over  here," 
continued  Jerry,  pointing  to  the  plateau,  the  bluff  of 
which  was  here  about  parallel  with  the  course  of  the 
river. 

"  I  can  see  just  where  it  is  by  the  bushes  that  grow 
upon  its  banks." 

"That's  Castle  Hill  — the  round  hill  with  the 
bluffs  on  the  flat,"  added  Ben.  "  They  say  it  looks 
like  a  castle  ;  but  I  never  see  no  castle,  and  I  dunno' 
whether  it  do  or  not." 

"It  certainly  looks  so  from  this  point." 

"  That  stream  what  you  see  runs  over  to  the  canyon 
that  divides  Castle  Hill  from  the  string  of  hills  them 
Injens  is  on.  Then  it  f oilers,  all  round  the  hill,  and 
strikes  into  the  old  bed  jest  afore  it  gits  to  the  river." 

"  Then  it  does  not  run  through  the  canon  ?  "  asked 
Ned,  who  had  watched  the  description  very  closely. 

"  It  do  not,"  answered  Jerry.  "  I  guess  some  o'  the 
water  goes  through  that  way  when  it's  very  damp, 
but  the  most  on't  toilers  the  stream  round  the  hill. 


176  THE   YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

I  guess  it  used  to  run  through  the  canyon,  but  when 
it  got  stopt  up,  the  water  made  a  new  track  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill.  I  only  guess  so,  for  I  don't  know 
nothin'  at  all  about  it.  The  upshot  of  the  hull  on't 
is  that  there  is  a  place  where  the  brook  turns  off  at 
the  mouth  of  the  canyon  where  you  can  git  on  the 
high  ground ;  and  that's  where  them  Injens  will  come 
down  to-night." 

"  The  string  o'  hills  runs  clean  to  the  Gila  river. 
The  Injens  will  follow  the  hills  and  get  in  right  over 
our  heads  when  we  set  down  in  the  camp.  They  can 
heave  rocks  over  on  to  us,"  added  Sile. 

?r  The  only  way  to  git  round  this  string  of  hills, 
when  you  strike  the  mouth  of  this  fust  stream,  is  to 
take  to  the  water,  and  ford  it  for  a  hund'ed  rods, " 
said  Ben. 

"Can  we  cross  the  stream  at  the  upper  end  of 
the  cafion  with  the  wagons,  and  can  we  get  them 
upon  the  high  ground  ?  " 

"I  reckon  we  can,  but  it  will  be  a  tight  pull," 
replied  Ben. 

I  gave  the  order  to  move  for  the  rear  of  Castle 
Hill,  and  the  head  of  the  column  struck  across  the 
flat.  In  a  short  time  we  reached  the  stream  that 
flowed  almost  entirely  around  Castle  Hill.  I  called 
it  Lower  River,  to  distinguish  it  from  Upper  River, 
which  flowed  at  the  foot  of  the  string  of  hills,  on  the 
top  of  which  was  the  plateau.  Both  were  big  enough 
to  be  called  rivers,  though  the  water  was  only  from 
two  to  four  feet  deep. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

ON  THE  BANKS  OP  THE  RIVER.  —  THE  FORD. —THE  HILL  BE 
YOND  IT.  —  A  SCOUTING  PARTY. — AN  ALARM.  —  TO  THE 
RESCUE.  —  OVERLOOKING  THE  FLAT.  —  THE  FIRING  RE 
NEWED.  —  THE  FIELD  OF  ACTION.  —  ALL  OUR  OWN  WAY. 
—  A  HEAVY  REPORT.  —  MORE  STRATEGY.  —  THE  ORDER 
TO  MOVE.  —  WITHOUT  A  RIDER.  —  JERRY  MISSING. 

T  OWER  River  was  a  larger  stream  than  I  supposed 
•"  before  we  reached  it.  We  followed  it,  with  a 
sharp  hill  on  our  right,  though  it  was  not  half  the 
height  of  Castle  Hill.  It  was  about  noon  when  we 
reached  the  junction  of  the  river  with  the  canon. 
Then  I  saw  that  the  stream  ran  between  the  hill  on 
our  riorht  and  the  chain  of  hills  which  had  been  on 

o 

our  right  for  several  days. 

At  this  point  we  had  to  ford  the  river,  which  was 
about  four  feet  deep  at  the  only  place  where  we  could 
cross  it,  and  strike  a  passable  trail  on  the  other  side. 
The  chain  of  hills  with  the  plateau  on  the  top  of  it 
had  fallen  off  in  height  a  great  deal ;  and  the  elevated 
land  came  to  a  sudden  stop  at  the  Gila. 

But  the  ascent  on  the  other  side  of  Lower  River 
was  very  steep  for  the  passage  of  the  wagons,  and  I 

177 


178  THE    YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

had  some  doubts  whether  the  horses  would  be  able  to 
take  them  up,  especially  the  caravel.  At  any  rate  we 
could  occupy  the  high  ground,  and  thus  prevent  the 
Indians  from  obtaining  any  advantage  over  us. 

Before  we  reached  the  ford,  Sile  Carter  had  sent  a 
half-dozen  of  our  best  men,  including  Jerry  and  Ben 
Cavendish,  to  the  plateau  to  reconnoitre,  for  it  must 
be  nearly  time  for  the  Apaches  to  put  in  an  appear 
ance  somewhere  in  the  vicinity.  I  had  no  doubt  the 
enemy  had  scouts  in  position  to  watch  what  we  were 
doing  and  where  we  went.  It  seemed  to  me  quite 
probable  that  they  would  interfere  to  prevent  our 
getting  possession  of  the  high  ground. 

I  rode  up  the  steep  incline  on  the  other  side  of  the 
ford  in  order  to  find  the  best  road  for  the  caravel.  I 
found  a  practicable,  though  difficult  path,  by  keeping 
near  the  canon  for  some  distance  and  then  ascending 
the  hill  in  an  angular  direction.  I  told  Hal  and  Ned 
to  dismount  and  set  up  some  marks  to  guide  the 
teamsters. 

While  they  were  doing  so,  and  were  holding  their 
horses,  we  heard  several  shots,  which  appeared  to 
come  from  the  plateau  beyond  us.  This  was  just 
what  I  anticipated.  The  six  men  sent  out  had 
encountered  the  Indians,  and  the  Apaches  were  not 
to  be  trifled  with. 

"  Mount  your  horses,  boys  !  Never  mind  the  road 
now ! " 

Hal  and  Ned  rushed  to  the  spot  where  I  was  and 
sprang  lightly  into  their  saddles.  Both  of  them  were 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  179 

excited,  and  they  bounded  off  and  up  the  steep  which 
led  to  the  higher  plateau.  I  was  not  disposed  to 
detain  them,  though  I  had  something  more  to  do 
before  I  could  go  myself.  I  rode  down  to  the  ford, 
and  called  all  the  hunters  and  vaqueros  that  were 
mounted,  and  told  them  to  follow  me.  They  obeyed 
with  alacrity,  and  I  put  Wildcat  to  his  best  speed. 

Sile  Carter  soon  came  up  with  me.  He  was  ex 
amining  his  double-barrelled  gun  as  he  rode,  and  I 
saw  that  he  regarded  the  alarm  as  far  more  serious 
than  such  occasions  had  ordinarily  been.  When  his 
gun  was  in  satisfactory  condition,  he  slung  it  back  on 
his  shoulders,  and  urged  his  horse  to  greater  speed, 
for  he  was  falling  behind  me. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  there  are  any  Indians  on  the 
flat  below,  Sile  ?  "  I  put  this  question  to  him  when  it 
occurred  to  me  that  a  portion  of  the  enemy  might 
have  been  sent  below  to  attack  us  in  that  direction. 

"  I  don't  b'lieve  any  on  'em's  down  there ;  cause 
why  ?  I  don't  see  how  on  airth  they  could  -have  got 
down,"  replied  Sile  ;  but  I  saw  that  he  looked  not  a 
little  anxious.  "  I  have  kept  my  eyes  peeled  all  the 
time  the  last  three  days,  and  I  ain't  seen  a  single 
place  where  they  could  have  got  down." 

"  We  have  seen  no  end  of  canons  in  the  rocks,  and 
they  may  have  come  out  of  some  of  these.  They  may 
have  found  a  way  to  make  the  descent  into  the  canons 
somewhere  in  the  interior." 

"  That's  so,  jedge,  as  sure  as  you  live  and  I  live ; 
and  I've  lived  longer  than  you  have.  We  ain't  left 


180  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

nothin'  but  peons  and  cow-boys  to  look  out  for  the 
wagons  and  bosses." 

I  concluded  to  send  Buck  Sykes  and  four  others 
back  to  guard  the  camp.  But  coming  at  this  moment 
to  a  projection  in  the  cliff  on  the  right,  from  which  a 
full  view  of  the  ford  could  be  obtained,  I  instructed 
Buck  and  the  men  detailed  to  serve  with  him  on  this 
point  to  remain  here.  No  Indian  could  approach  the 
ford  without  being  seen  by  them  ;  and  they  would  be 
within  supporting  distance  if  we  needed  their  assist 
ance. 

I  still  made  one  of  eight  men  on  the  way  to  rein 
force  Ben  Cavendish.  Since  the  first  shots  which 
had  attracted  our  attention  we  had  heard  no  more 
firing.  We  rode  about  half  a  mile.  I  could  see 
nothing  of  our  own  men,  or  of  the  enemy.  I  found 
that  what  had  looked  like  a  plateau  from  below  was 
very  much  broken  up,  and  there  were  plenty  of  rocks 
scattered  about  on  the  plain.  There  was  some  wood 
and  many  bushes. 

As  we  advanced,  the  firing  was  suddenly  renewed. 
Our  men  now  fired  almost  continuously.  It  was 
probable  that  the  Indians  had  fallen  back  at  the  first 
fire,  and  had  rallied  for  the  attack.  We  had  gone  but 
a  short  distance  farther  before  several  arrows  dropped 
near  us. 

Hal  and  Ned  were  ahead  of  us  still,  and  I  could  see 
nothing  of  them.  I  hoped  they  would  use  ordinary  dis 
cretion  in  taking  care  of  themselves,  though  I  hardly 
expected  this  of  Hal,  if  he  got  separated  from  Ned. 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  181 

"I  see  how  'tis,  jedge,"  said  Sile,  checking  his 
horse.  "Ben  is  over  in  yonder.  I  guess  Ben's  got 
'em  in  a  tight  place." 

So  it  seemed  to  me.  On  our  right  was  a  mass  of 
rock,  extending  out  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice.  On 
the  left  was  a  collection  of  bowlders,  of  the  size  of  a 
big  elephant,  for  each  of  them  looked  something  like 
this  animal.  Our  men  were  behind  them,  for  Ben 
Cavendish  was  a  prudent  general,  and  was  not 
ashamed  to  fight  behind  a  breastwork  of  any  sort  that 
he  could  find. 

We  rode  over  to  the  friendly  shelter  of  these  rocks. 
From  behind  them  our  men  were  picking  off  the 
Indians  as  fast  as  one  of  them  showed  his  head.  We 
left  our  horses  in  a  secure  place  where  we  could 
regain  them  when  needed.  Between  us  and  the 
ledge  of  rocks  near  the  bluff  was  an  open  way, 
through  which  the  Apaches  had  doubtless  intended  to 
pass ;  but  that  was  now  impossible,  for  the  opening 
was  covered  by  our  marksmen. 

Hal  and  Ned  fell  to  the  work  assigned  to  them  with 
a  zeal  which  was  likely  to  be  very  damaging  to  the 
enemy.  The  Apaches  had  no  such  cover  as  that  Ben 
Cavendish  had  chosen  for  his  party.  They  could  not 
stand  up  under  the  fire  of  the  hunters,  but  they  made 
frequent  dashes  as  though  they  meant  to  end  the 
skirmish  in  a  hand  to  hand  encounter. 

The  boys  and  my  self  were  behind  a  bowlder  which 
was  in  sugar-loaf  form  in  front.  Behind  it  was 
another  rock  in  contact  with  it,  but  not  more  than 


182  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

half  as  high.  Ned  had  climbed  upon  the  lower  ele 
vation,  and  was  watching  his  opportunity  over  the 
top  of  the  higher  one.  Hal  was  at  one  side  and  I  was 
at  the  other. 

Every  time  the  enemy  rushed  forward,  one  or  more 
of  their  number  dropped,  and  the  rest  rushed  back, 
bearing  their  wounded  with  them.  It  was  a  monoto 
nous  sort  of  an  engagement,  though  it  seemed  to 
have  its  excitement  to  the  hunters  and  the  boys.  I 
did  not  think  the  Apaches  would  stand  it  a  great 
while,  for  they  were  getting  the  worst  of  it.  They 
were  losing  their  men,  while  so  far  not  one  of  ours 
had  been  hit  either  by  an  arrow  or  a  musket-ball. 
The  Indians  were  provided  with  old  flint-lock 
muskets  in  small  numbers,  and  they  were  not 
effective  against  the  first-class  weapons  in  the  hands 
of  the  expeditionists. 

"  How  many  do  you  think  there  are  of  them,  Ned  ?  " 

He  had  the  most  sightly  place,  and  he  had  the  best 
chance  to  estimate  the  number  of  the  foe. 

"I  don't  think  that  more  than  fifty  have  shown 
themselves  at  once,"  replied  Ned.  "We  are  having 
it  all  our  own  way,  and  there  won't  be  as  many  of 
them  as  fifty  much  longer." 

"  Can  you  see  where  they  are  now  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  they  run  back  and  conceal  themselves 
among  the  bushes.  I  can't  see  a  single  one  of  them 
now." 

I  walked  over  to  the  position  where  Sile  Carter 
was  on  the  lookout  for  the  head  of  an  Indian.  I 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 


183 


spoke  to  him,  but  he  did  not  take  his  eye  off  the  spot 
where  the  last  of  the  enemy  had  disappeared.  He 
had  fired  but  once,  yet  I  was  morally  certain  that  an 
Apache  had  bit  the  dust  when  his  gun  went  off. 

"  This  is  getting  to  be  dull  music,  Sile." 

"  It  is  kinder  quiet  jest  at  this  minute,"  replied  he, 
with  his  eye  still  fixed  on  the  position  of  the  enemy. 

"  I  don't  like  this  way  of  doing  it." 

"What  more  can  we  do,  jedge?" 

"I  am  not  sure  that  the  Indians  are  not  fooling  us, 

Sile." 

"What  do  you  mean,  jedge?"  demanded  Sile, 
with  a  start,  though  he  did  not  divert  his  gaze  from 
the  bushes. 

"  When  you  can't  see  the  enemy,  you  don't  know 
where  they  are.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  rascals  are 
not  coming  out  again.  It  won't  take  them  long  to 
find  out  that  this  is  a  losing  game  to  them." 

At  that  instant  we  heard  a  heavy  report  off  to  the 
left  of  us,  that  is,  back  from  the  river.  It  had  oc 
curred  to  me  that  there  might  be  a  passage  to  our 
present  rear  in  this  direction. 

"That's  Jerry  Benson's  rifle  !"  exclaimed  Sile,  ap 
parently  perplexed  to  explaim  how  the  report  should 
come  from  that  direction.  "  I  guess  Jerry  went  over 
there  to  look  out  for  the  Injens,  and  found  some." 

"  But  that  looks  bad,  Sile.  Where  is  Ben  Caven 
dish?" 

I  did  not  like  the  appearance  of  things  at  all ;  and 
it  seemed  to  me  that  the  Kentuckian,  who  was  fight- 


184  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

ing  this  battle,  was  deceived  in  regard  to  the  inten 
tions  of  the  enemy.  It  was  not  like  the  Apaches  to 
rush  before  our  guns  and  then  retreat,  as  they  had 
been  doing.  I  could  not  get  rid  of  the  idea  that  they 
were  doing  this  thing  to  hold  our  force  where  it  was 
while  they  opened  another  way  to  reach  our  horses 
and  wagons.  But  I  had  not  any  more  than  got  the 
thought  through  my  head  before  Ben  Cavendish 
stalked  up  to  our  position. 

"  Straddle  your  hosses,  boys ;  there  nothin'  more 
to  do  hyer,"  said  he,  in  his  cool,  indifferent  tones. 
"  The  Injens  is  try  in'  to  git  round  us.  But  it  will 
take  them  an  hour  to  git  to  the  ford,  and  we  kin  git 
there  in  five  minutes.  No  hurry,  but  it's  time  to  be 
movin' ." 

I  was  glad  to  see  that  Ben  had  anticipated  my 
thoughts,  and  taken  care  to  keep  himself  posted 
in  regard  to  the  position  and  movements  of  the 
enemy.  My  confidence  in  him  was  fully  sustained. 
We  sprang  into  the  bushes  in  the  rear  of  our  posi 
tion,  and  mounted  the  horses.  One  horse  appeared 
to  have  no  rider. 

"Whose  horse  is  that?" 

I  was  not  near  enough  to  the  animal  to  determine 
whose  it  was.  It  indicated  that  one  of  our  men  was 
wandering  about  the  field  of  the  skirmish. 

"That's  Jerry's  hoss-,"  said  Sile  Carter.  "Why 
ain't  he  with  the  rest  on  us  ?  " 

We  waited  as  long  as  it  was  prudent  to  stay,  but 
Jerry  did  not  come. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

FEARS  IN  REGARD  TO  JERRY  BENSON. — BEN  CAVENDISH 
SELECTS  A  SEARCHING  PARTY.  —  DANGEROUS  DUTY  FOR 
BOYS.  —  SOMETHING  ABOUT  LEADERS. — OUR  PARTY.— 
OMINOUS  SHOTS.  —  A  SUDDEN  HALT.  —  A  LOOK  ON  THE 
FLAT. — A  DEAD  SHOT.  —  OTHER  SUFFERERS. — WHAT  I 
SAW. 

TTTE  looked  at  one  another  with  something  like 
dismay  when  we  realized  that  Jerry  was  miss 
ing.  But  it  was  possible,  and  even  probable,  that 
he  was  safe,  for  he  was  a  zealous  Indian  fighter,  and 
he  might  be  following  the  enemy  to  obtain  accurate 
information  in  regard  to  their  movements. 

"  I  was  going  out  in  the  direction  of  the  hills  to 
look  after  the  Injens,  but  Jerry  wanted  to  go,  and 
stuck  to  it  so  hard  that  I  gin  it  up  and  let  him  go," 
said  Ben  Cavendish.  "  I  hope  nothin's  happened  to 
him." 

"  Did  you  see  him  again  after  you  sent  him  away  ?  " 

"Never  sot  eyes  on  him  agin." 

I  was  greatly  alarmed,  for  I  feared  that  he  had 
been  captured  by  the  Apaches,  which  I  regarded  as  a 
hundred  times  worse  than  being  shot  dead  on  the 

185 


186  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

field,  but  I  was  not  quite  willing  to  believe  that  Jerry 
would  allow  himself  to  be  taken  alive. 

"  I  reckon  we  hain't,  got  no  time  to  lose,"  added 
Ben.  "  We  ought  to  be  in  a  good  position  and  have 
things  fixed  afore  them  Indians  git  over  to  the  ford." 

"Whatever  happens,  I  shall  not  allow  Jerry  to  be 
abandoned  as  long  as  there  is  a  possibility  of  doing 
anything  for  him." 

"  Good,  jedge  !  I  reckon  you  was  born  in  old  Kain- 
tuck ;  or  ef  you  wan't,  you  ought  to  have  been.  I 
like  the  cap'n  that  stands  by  his  men ;  and  I  thought 
a  heap  of  Jerry  besides,"  said  Ben,  with  enthusiasm. 

"  We  have  no  time  for  compliments.  What  shall 
we  do?  That's  the  question." 

"I  reckon  we'd  better  divide,"  replied  Ben.  "I'll 
take  four  of  the  spryes't  of  the  men,  and  go  and  look 
arter  Jerry.  Sile,  with  the  rest  on  you,  shall  git  to 
the  ford  as  quick  as  creation  will  let  you.  Take  in 
the  men  you  left  on  the  bluff,  Sile.  You  hain't  got 
no  more  use  for  them  out  there." 

"  Pick  your  men  quick,  Ben." 

"I  want  Ned  for  one,"  added  the  Kentuckian. 

"  Ned  !  Why,  he's  nothing  but  a  boy  !  " 

M  So  much  the  better.  He's  young  and  spry ;  and 
I'd  like  three  more  jest  like  him." 

"  Ask  Ben  to  take  me,"  said  Hal,  earnestly,  to  his 
companion. 

"Hal  is  another  jest  like  me,"  added  Ned,  to  the 
Kentuckian. 

"  So  he  is,  sonny ;  but  he  ain't  quite  so  steady  as 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  187 

you  be.  Howsomdever,  I'll  take  him  ef  you  say  so, 
tfed." 

''Thank  you,  Ben;  I  will  do  my  best  for  you," 
said  Hal,  delighted  with  the  chance  to  engage  in  the 
dangerous  service. 

"Jake's  my  next  man,"  added  Ben.  "Bridge  will 
do  for  the  last  one.  I  reckon  I've  got  the  best  ones 
for  my  work." 

Some  of  the  hunters  called  Emile  Pont,  "  Pong," 
and  some  interpreted  the  word  and  called  him 
"Bridge."  He  answered  equally  w^ell  to  all  these 
names.  I  wras  not  pleased  with  the  idea  of  the  boys 
taking  part  in  Ben's  enterprise ;  but  as  they  were 
suited  to  his  purpose,  I  could  not  refuse  to  let  them 
go.  I  was  too  heavy  myself  to  make  one  of  this 
select  party ;  and  I  thought  it  would  be  a  good 
chance  to  let  Hal  redeem  his  character,  especially  as 
he  manifested  a  most  excellent  spirit.  I  was  glad  to 
have  this  assurance  that  the  Kentuckian  bore  him  no 
ill-will  on  account  of  the  affair  near  Fort  Yuma. 

I  had  long  since  found  that  the  men  worked  better 
and  fought  better  when  led  by  one  of  their  own  style 
and  manner.  They  were  a  little  inclined  to  think  I 
put  on  airs  if  I  took  the  immediate  direction  in  an 
affair  like  the  present.  Besides  I  thought  men  like 
Ben  Cavendish  and  Sile  Carter  were  more  competent 
for  just  this  kind  of  business  than  I  was.  I  reserved 
the  right,  therefore,  to  veto  their  orders,  and  to  take 
the  command  myself  at  any  time,  but  I  gave  the  lead 
to  these  men.  Jerry  was  a  better  follower  than 


188  THE   YOUISTG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

leader,  for  his  opinions  were  too  strong  at  times,  so 
that  they  made  him  unreasonable. 

Ben  Cavendish  did  not  lose  a  moment  after  he  had 
selected  his  party.  He  dashed  off  at  a  gallop,  fol 
lowed  by  his  men,  towards  the  hills  to  the  south  of 
us.  In  a  moment  they  had  disappeared  behind  the 
rocks.  I  hardly  expected  to  see  them  again  that  day, 
if  it  should  prove  that  Jerry  had  been  captured  by 
the  Apaches.  I  believed  Ben  would  find  him  if  he 
was  still  in  the  land  of  the  living. 

Sile  Carter  was  no  more  inclined  than  Ben  to  delay, 
though  he  was  very  anxious  in  regard  to  the  fate  of 
Jerry,  who  had  been  his  friend  for  many  years  before 
I  knew  either  of  them.  Like  Jerry  he  was  a  man 
well  along  in  years,  though  his  powers  of  body  or 
mind  did  not  seem  to  be  impaired. 

"  Come  along,  boys  ! "  shouted  he  as  soon  as  Ben 
and  his  party  were  well  off.  "  I  guess  we  shall  have 
some  music  afore  nijjht." 

O 

He  put  his  heels  to  the  flanks  of  his  spirited  horse, 
and  we  followed  him  at  a  breakneck  gallop.  I  had 
the  fastest  horse  in  the  party,  with  the  exception  of 
Giant,  and  I  placed  him  at  my  side. 

fr  What  do  you  suppose  has  become  of  Jerry,  Sile  ?  " 
"  I'm  afeared  he  got  into  trouble.  His  rheumatis' 
bothered  him  this  morning,  and  I  don't  b'lieve  he 
could  use  his  pins  as  well  as  a  feller  ought  to  that 
fights  or  plays  a  game  with  Taches,"  replied  Sile, 
shaking  his  head  as  he  looked  at  me  to  see  if  I  had 
any  opinion  to  give  on  the  subject. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  189 

"  The  Indians  must  have  been  close  by  him  when 
he  started  out,  for  I  was  talking  with  the  boys  about 
their  movements  when  they  did  not  come  out  any 
more." 

"I  know  Jerry  got  a  shot  at  'em,  for  I  am  sartain 
sure  that  was  a  speech  from  his  blunderbuss  I  heard ; 
for  Jerry  don't  waste  no  powder  and  lead." 

"Then  you  think  he  has  been  taken  by  the 
Indians?" 

"I'm  afeerd  that's  what  it's  come  to,"  added  Sile, 
looking  me  full  in  the  face. 

"  I  hope  not ;  Jerry  wouldn't  let  the  Apaches  take 
him  while  there  is  anything  left  of  him." 

"Creation!  What's  that?"  exclaimed  Sile,  as  we 
heard  the  reports  of  several  pieces. 

The  sound  came  from  directly  ahead.  Was  it  pos 
sible  that  the  Indians  had  closed  in  on  the  ford,  and 
surrounded  the  wagons,  and  the  few  men  we  had  left 
there  ?  I  was  startled  at  the  very  thought.  Sile  was 
never  knocked  out  of  his  play  by  anything  unex 
pected,  or  by  his  fears  or  his  feelings.  He  spurred 
up  his  horse,  and  we  all  increased  our  speed  with 
him. 

"  I  guess  them  shots  was  fired  by  the  men  we  left 
on  the  bluff,"  added  Sile.  "  If  that's  so,  I  guess 
we're  all  right." 

"  But  they  may  have  seen  the  Indians  coming  up 
from  the  southward.  According  to  Ben  Cavendish, 
they  had  to  make  a  big  sweep  before  they  could 
reach  the  ford,  and  it  is  not  time  for  them  in  that 


190  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

direction.  I  think  you  are  right ;  and  there  must  be 
Apaches  down  on  the  flat." 

"I  guess  that's  what  the  matter,"  said  Sile,  strain 
ing  his  eyes  to  get  a  view  of  the  situation.  "  But 
'twon't  take  long  to  see  what  the  matter  is." 

In  a  few  minutes  more  we  discovered  the  men  we 
had  left  on  the  projecting  bluff.  They  were  lying 
down  on  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  looking  intently 
down  upon  the  flat.  Possibly  we  were  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  from  them.  But  I  was  satisfied  that  none  of 
the  enemy  had  reached  the  ford  from  the  flat. 

"Halt!" 

I  gave  this  order,  and  reined  in  my  horse.  Sile 
and  the  others  obeyed  promptly.  We  dismounted, 
and  leaving  the  horses  in  charge  of  a  couple  of 
vaqueros,  we  walked  stealthily  to  the  bluff.  We 
crawled  the  last  part  of  the  way  in  Apache  fashion, 
so  that  we  need  not  be  seen  by  the  enemy  on  the 
flat,  for  the  firing  of  Buck  Sykes'  party  indicated  that 
there  were  Indians  there. 

It  was  not  possible  to  get  to  the  ford  without  cross 
ing  an  open  place  on  the  flat,  which  was  commanded 
by  the  projecting  bluff,  in  possession  of  our  men. 
It  occurred  to  me  that  the  Indians  had  fallen  back 
when  Buck's  party  fired.  The  fact  that  we  heard 
no  shots  since  the  first  assured  me  this  was  the  fact. 

If  the  Indians  had  been  within  rifle  range  of  the 
projecting  bluff,  they  must  have  been  somewhere 
near  the  spot  where  I  ordered  the  halt.  I  thought 
we  could  help  out  the  work  begun  by  Buck  Sykes. 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  191 

Sile  crawled  faster  than  I  could,  and  he  gained  the 
edge  of  the  bluff  first.  He  had  scarcely  reached  it 
before  he  levelled  his  piece  and  fired.  The  report 
was  followed  by  a  fierce  yell  from  the  flat  below. 
The  Down-Easter  leaped  to  his  feet  like  a  young 
man.  He  seemed  to  have  no  fear  of  the  enemy  below ; 
in  fact  they  were  too  far  off  to  reach  us  with  their 
bows,  or  with  the  old  flint-locks  in  their  possession. 

"I  knocked  one  on  'em  !  "   exclaimed  Sile. 

We  had  crawled  to  our  position  to  avoid  being 
seen,  and  not  to  escape  the  consequences  of  the  fire 
of  the  Apaches.  We  could  laugh  at  them  at  any 
long  range.  They  were  dangerous  only  in  reasonably 
close  quarters. 

I  rose  to  my  feet  more  slowly  than  Sile  had  per 
formed  the  same  act.  Behind  the  bushes,  to  the 
west  of  the  opening,  we  discovered  a  group  of  about 
a  dozen  Indians.  One  of  them  lay  upon  the  ground  ; 
and  I  judged  that  he  was  dead.  The  others  were 
making  more  of  a  commotion  then  they  usually  make 
when  one  of  their  number  drops.  I  concluded  that 
Sile's  shot  had  brought  down  some  important  person. 
I  afterwards  learned  that  it  was  the  son  of  the  chief 
who  led  the  party. 

The  Indians  seemed  to  be  in  a  panic.  They  were 
making  preparations  to  bear  away  the  dead  or 
wounded  warrior,  as  the  case  may  have  been.  I 
told  Sile  to  lie  down  again,  and  did  so  myself. 

"  I  ain't  afeerd  on  'em,  jedge,"  replied  Sile,  as  he 
obeyed  the  order. 


192  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

"  I  didn't  suppose  you  were ;  but  I  prefer  to  work 
in  the  dark,  for  we  can  do  better  if  they  don't  know 
that  we  are  here.  I  don't  think  they  have  seen  us 

yet." 

"  I  don't  b'lieve  they  have.  If  they  had  they  would 
not  have  stopped  there  in  full  sight  of  us  all  this 
while,"  answered  Sile. 

"By  all  creation  t'other  side  up  !  "  exclaimed  Linn 
Hoover. 

"  What's  the  matter  now  ?  " 

"  There's  something  going  on  farther  down  the 
flat,"  replied  Linn. 

I  cast  my  eyes  down  the  trail.  Just  as  far  off  as  I 
could  discern  objects,  I  saw  what  appeared  to  be  a 
party  of  travellers  attacked  by  Indians.  I  had  a  field 
glass  in  a  case  attached  to  my  saddle.  I  sent  one  of 
the  men  for  it,  and  through  it  I  saw  a  group  of 
mounted  Indians,  attacking  a  party  of  a  dozen  horse 
men,  with  a  wagon  and  several  pack-horses.  Linn 
Hoover  was  correct  as  to  what  he  saw. 

The  attack  was  so  sudden  and  furious,  judging 
from  what  I  saw,  that  the  party  had  no  chance  to 
make  an  effectual  resistance.  Of  course  the  travellers 
were  going  east,  or  we  should  have  seen  them  before. 
But  they  did  the  best  they  could,  and  I  saw  several 
of  the  savages  fall. 

One  man  had  his  horse  shot  under  him,  and  I  saw 
him  run  behind  a  high  rock.  With  the  glass  I  could 
distinctly  see  him  in  his  hiding-place.  He  appeared 
to  have  lost  his  arms  in  the  fall,  and  had  nothing  to 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  193 

do  anything  with,  so  that  this  fact  explained  his 
taking  to  the  rocks. 

Part  of  the  scene  was  obscured  by  a  clump  of 
trees ;  and  presently  the  scene  shifted  by  the  action 
of  the  combatants  so  that  it  was  beyond  this  obstruc 
tion  to  my  view.  But  we  could  hear  the  report  of 
the  shots  that  were  fired  by  the  men  in  the  conflict. 

"What  do  you  make  on't,  jedge?"  asked  Sile, 
whose  eyesight  did  not  permit  him  to  get  a  very  clear 
idea  of  what  was  going  on  at  the  trail  below. 

"  The  Indians  have  attacked  the  travellers,  and  so 
far  as  I  can  judge,  the  white  men  are  getting  the 
worst  of  it ;  "  and  it  looked  to  me  that  this  was  one 
more  to  be  added  to  the  long  list  of  atrocities  perpe 
trated  by  the  Apaches. 

Just  at  this  moment,  and  before  I  had  quite 
finished  my  reply  to  Sile,  a  new  scene  passed  before 
my  glass.  The  man  concealed  behind  the  rock  was 
in  the  foreground,  and  farther  back  was  a  party  of 
mounted  Indians.  In  the  arms  of  the  leader  was  a 
woman,  with  her  arms  flying  in  the  air,  as  though  she 
was  struggling  to  escape  from  her  captor.  This  was 
all  I  could  see  ;  for  after  they  had  passed  the  opening 
in  the  flat,  they  disappeared  behind  a  line  of  trees  and 
bushes.  But  I  have  the  startling  picture,  as  I  saw  it 
with  my  glass,  still  in  my  mind. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

BILE'S  INTEREST  IN  THE  LADY.  —  THE  DOWN-EASTER  OBJECTS 
TO  MY  THEORY.  —  TO  HORSE  AGAIN.  —  A  WHISTLING 
BULLET.  —  THE  PROJECTING  BLUFF.  —  THE  FORD. — DIN 
NER  LATE  IN  THE  DAY.  —  MOVING  THE  CARAVEL.  —  A 
STRONG  POSITION. — UNLOADING  THE  WAGONS. — PLANT 
ING  THE  GUNS. — REPEATING  RIFLES.  —  RETURN  OF  THE 
SEARCHING  PARTY.  —  THE  LITTER. 

T  TOLD  Sile  Carter  what  I  had  seen  through  my 
•*•  field-glass.  When  I  told  him  there  was  a  lady  in 
the  case,  he  manifested  the  most  intense  indignation ; 
and  I  believe  if  we  could  have  got  the  horses  down 
into  the  flat,  he  would  have  chased  the  Indian  captors 
of  the  lady  to  the  end  of  the  earth. 

We  had  lost  sight  of  the  fighting  party  behind  the 
clump  of  trees,  and  we  had  no  means  of  knowing  how 
the  battle  was  likely  to  terminate.  It  was  evident 
that  there  were  a  great  many  Indians  in  the  vicinity, 
for  we  had  seen  three  parties  within  a  couple  of 
hours. 

It  has  taken  me  some  time  to  tell  what  I  saw 
through  my  glass  ;  but  I  suppose  not  more  than  five 
or  ten  minutes  had  elapsed  since  Linn  Hoover  first 
called  my  attention  to  the  attack  in  the  trail.  Time 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  195 

flies  fast  when  events  that  color  a  whole  lifetime  pass 
within  a  few  minutes. 

When  I  dropped  my  glass  and  looked  at  the  party 
with  the  wounded  man,  I  found  they  were  still  there. 
They  seemed  to  be  at  work  on  the  fallen  man.  I 
brought  my  field-glass  to  bear  upon  the  scene.  The 
party  were  about  half  way  between  the  spot  by  the 
river  where  the  fight  was  in  progress  and  our  posi 
tion  on  the  bluff. 

"  I  guess  wTe  hadn't  oughter  stop  here  any  longer," 
said  Sile  Carter.  ff  How  do  wre  know  but  the  In 
dians  have  busted  in  upon  the  ford,  and  tooken  off 
the  bosses  and  the  wagons,  and  them  great  guns?" 

w  I  don't  think  they  can  get  away  with  the  caravel, 
though  they  may  with  the  wagon.  But,  as  you  say, 
we  must  not  stay  here  any  longer." 

"  Shall  we  shoot  the  rest  o'  them  Injens  afore  we 
leave  ?  I  s'pose  every  one  on  'em  will  kill  half  a  dozen 
white  men  afore  he  passes  in  his  chips,  and  I  really 
don't  think  you  ought  to  let  'em  run  wild  any  more'n 
you  can  help,  jedge." 

"  I  do  not  fire  on  an  Indian  unless  it  is  necessary  to 
do  so." 

"  Don't  you  think  it's  necessary  to  kill  off  them  var 
mints  behind  them  bushes." 

"  I  do  not  think  so.  We  are  in  no  immediate  danger 
from  them,  and  they  are  not  moving  upon  the  ford  ; 
if  they  were  it  would  alter  the  case." 

:r  That's  puttin'  a  tremenjus  fine  p'int  on  to  it,  jedge. 
Don't  you  cal'late  them  Injens  will  kill  off  every  white 


196  THE   YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

man  that  falls  in  their  way?  Didn't  you  see  'em 
through  your  squint  glass  carryin'  off  a  woman  ?  " 

"  Will  shooting  half  a  dozen  of  those  men,  who 
don't  suspect  that  any  one  sees  them,  bring  the  girl 
back  again  ?  " 

"I  can't  say  it  will." 

M  If  it  would,  I  would  help  you  shoot  the  whole  of 
them." 

"  Every  one  we  kill  will  make  one  less  to  fight  in 
the  future.  I  guess  you  air  too  notional  about 
Injens,  jedge.  But  if  you  say  we  ain't  to  tech  'em 
with  our  lead,  we  won't  stop  here  no  longer." 

"  I  shall  not  kill  them  for  the  fun  of  it,  bad  as  they 
are.  I  do  not  feel  justified  in  doing  anything  more 
than  defending  our  party  and  rendering  needed  help 
to  travellers  who  require  assistance." 

"Git  on  your  bosses,  boys !"  shouted  Sile,  who 
was  evidently  disgusted  with  my  logic  and  practice. 

We  all  stood  up  as  the  conclusion  of  the  whole 
matter.  Then  our  ears  were  greeted  with  a  wild  yell 
from  the  party  behind  the  bushes,  and  it  was  clear 
that  they  now  saw  us  for  the  first  time.  If  they 
understood  the  situation  at  all,  I  have  no  doubt  they 
thought  I  was  a  fool ,  and  I  was  inclined  to  think  so 
myself,  when  I  heard  a  bullet  whistle  near  my  head. 

But  we  had  only  to  move  a  few  steps  back  from 
the  bluff  to  be  out  of  their  sight,  and  we  did  not  care 
to  be  made  a  target  for  their  practice.  We  mounted 
our  horses,  and  hastened  in  the  direction  of  the  ford. 
In  a  few  minutes  we  reached  the  projecting  bluff, 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  197 

where  Buck  Sykes  was  overlooking  what  was  done  in 
the  valley. 

Sile  relieved  the  party  from  duty  at  that  post,  and 
directed  them  to  follow  to  the  ford.  Buck  reported 
that  he  had  discovered  the  Apaches  we  had  seen 
crawling  like  snakes  towards  the  ford.  He  had  fired 
the  first  shot  at  them  himself,  and  had  seen  one  of 
them  spring  to  his  feet  and  then  leap  into  the  air. 
They  dodged  in  behind  a  clump  of  bushes,  and  he 
had  not  seen  them  since. 

Sile  gave  him  the  complement  to  his  narrative  as 
we  rode  along.  He  had  neither  seen  nor  heard  any 
thing  from  the  Indians  on  the  high  ground,  and  as  his 
position  commanded  a  view  of  the  approaches  to  the 
ford,  I  was  satisfied  that  the  band  we  had  engaged 
had  not  yet  made  their  appearance  in  the  vicinity. 

"  I  really  think  sunthin'  ought  to  be  done  about 
them  folks  that  lost  the  lady  in  the  fight,"  said  Sile, 
as  we  were  approaching  the  ford. 

"  I  will  do  anything,  you  may  be  sure,  as  soon  as 
we  are  in  a  safe  position.  But  I  don't  feel  that  we 
ouo-ht  to  sacrifice  ourselves  for  the  benefit  of  others. 

o 

If  our  horses  are  captured,  we  shall  have  to  fight  our 
way  back  to  Buena  Vista  in  bad  condition." 

"  I  guess  you're  right,  jedge.  We  couldn't  do 
much  without  what's  in  them  wagins ;  but  when  we 
git  fixed  here  for  the  long  stop,  I  should  like  to  foller 
up  them  Injens  to  the  end  of  the  world;  I  mean 
them  that  kerned  off  the  lady." 

"  We  will  see  what  can  be  done," 


198  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

Just  above  the  ford  was  a  considerable  sheet  of 
water,  forming  quite  a  respectable  pond.  We  let  our 
horses  drink  in  this,  and  the  water  was  as  clear  as 
crystal.  While  we  were  there,  some  of  the  vaqueros 
came  up  from  the  ford  with  the  team-horses.  They 
had  had  a  listless  time  of  it,  for  they  had  neither  seen 
nor  heard  of  any  Indians. 

It  was  now  about  two  in  the  afternoon,  and  I 
directed  the  peons  to  serve  the  dinner  I  had  ordered 
them  to  prepare  when  we  started.  It  was  late  and 
the  men  were  very  hungry.  We  were  in  a  safe  posi 
tion,  for  the  ground  was  all  open  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  pond,  and  we  could  see  any  foe  that  approached. 
If  we  could  get  the  enemy  on  the  open  ground,  we 
could  take  care  of  them,  for  they  could  not  stand  up 
against  the  unerring  aim  of  our  hunters. 

After  dinner  I  ordered  all  the  draught-horses,  eigh 
teen  in  number,  to  be  hitched  to  the  caravel.  With 
this  team,  we  had  no  difficulty  in  taking  the  caravel 
up  out  of  the  river,  and  up  the  steep  beyond.  The 
same  team  brought  up  the  wagon,  and  it  seemed  to 
me  that  our  troubles  had  come  to  an  end  for  the 
present. 

While  I  was  on  the  hill  above  the  ford,  I  took  a 
careful  survey  of  the  country  between  the  two  rivers, 
both  of  which  were  in  sight  at  the  same  time  from  the 
position  I  occupied.  The  centre  of  Castle  Hill  was 
nearly  as  high  as  the  elevation  on  which  I  stood.  The 
dark  canon  effectually  separated  the  two.  Suddenly 
it  struck  me,  as  if  by  inspiration,  that  Castle  Hill 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  199 

was  just  the  place  for  our  camp  during  our  long  stay 
in  this  region.  I  saw  at  a  glance  that  ten  thousand 
Indians  could  not  conquer  us  in  that  position  as  long 
as  our  provisions  held  out.  Castle  Hill,  it  seemed 
to  me,  was  impregnable. 

But  the  hill  might  as  well  have  been  in  the  moon  as 
within  a  few  rods  of  us,  for  a  canon  between  one  and 
two  hundred  feet  deep  yawned  between  the  two  hills. 
It  is  true  it  was  not  more  than  thirty  feet  wide  ;  but 
it  might  as  well  have  been  a  thousand,  for  we  had  no 
means  of  crossing  it  with  the  horses  and  the  wagons. 
I  walked  along  the  edge  of  the  canon,  and  examined 
the  position  very  carefully.     The  more  I  saw  of  Cas 
tle  Hill  the  more  it  increased  my  desire  to  establish 
our  camp  for  the  summer  in  such  a  secure  location. 
I  could  not  then  think  of  any  way  to  transport  the 
wagons  across  the  gaping  chasm.     But  if  we  did  not 
camp  on  Castle  Hill,  we  should  occupy  the  other  hill ; 
and  I  decided  to  unload  the  caravel  where  it  was.    In 
the  bottom  of  the  ark  I  had  a  case  of  Sharpe's  rifles,  a 
repeating  weapon  which  would  do  enormous  execu 
tion.      If  I  had  expected  to   encounter  Indians   so 
soon,  I  should  have  taken  this  case  out  before.     I 
wanted  to  get  at  the  rifles  now,  for  they  would  add 
many  men,   in  effect,  to  our  force,  by  making  one 
equal  to  three  or  four. 

The  two  heavy  guns  we  had  bought  of  Major  Gal- 
loupe  were  hoisted  out  of  the  caravel,  and  mounted 
upon  their  carriages.  It  was  possible  that  we  might 
have  occasion  to  use  them  within  the  next  few  hours. 


200  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

It  seemed  to  me  to  he  time  that  the  Indians  who  had 
been  checked  on  the  high  ground  should  reach  this 
end  of  the  ridge,  if  Ben  Cavendish's  calculation  in 
regard  to  their  intentions  was  correct. 

Buck  Sykes  directed  the  men  in  making  some  plat 
forms  for  the  guns,  and  we  soon  had  them  in  position 
to  command  the  approaches  to  the  hill.  One  of  them 
was  pointed  at  the  ford,  and  the  other  at  the  narrow 
pass  between  the  pond  and  Upper  River.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  with  these  twelve-pounders  and  Sharpe's 
rifles  half  a  dozen  men  could  defend  our  stock  and 
wagons  from  all  the  Indians  in  the  territory. 

I  very  much  desired  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  the 
party  who  had  been  attacked  on  the  trail.  But  five 
of  our  party  were  absent  engaged  in  the  search  for 
Jerry  Benson.  Besides  Hal,  Ned,  and  myself,  we 
had  ten  men  whom  I  called  the  hunters  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  vaqueros  and  peons.  Of  the  hunters 
only  seven  were  in  the  camp  at  this  time,  not  more 
than  enough  to  hold  the  position.  Of  the  eight 
vaqueros,  some  were  very  good  and  brave  men  ;  but 
I  was  not  willing  to  depend  upon  them  in  an  expedi 
tion  on  the  flat.  It  was  not  prudent  to  attempt  to  do 
anything  for  the  outside  party  who  had  been  attacked. 

"  There  comes  Ben  Cavendish  and  his  party  !  " 
exclaimed  Sile,  while  I  was  looking  wistfully  at  Cas 
tle  Hill.  "They  are  fetchin'  a  litter  in  with 'em; 
and  that  looks  bad." 

I  hastened  with  Sile  to  meet  the  returning  party, 
both  of  us  filled  with  anxiety. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

AT  THE  FORD. — THE  FACES  OF  HAL  AND  NED. — THE  HORSE 
LITTER.  —  WOUNDED  ?  —  NOT  WOUNDED,  BUT  DEAD.  —  A 
VERY  SAD  OCCASION. — HOW  IT  HAPPENED. — A  DEEP 
BURIED  ARROW.  — THE  DEAD  INDIAN. — MELANCHOLY 
REFLECTIONS.  — DINNER  FOR  THE  SEARCHING  PARTY. — 
RECITAL  OF  THE  EVENTS  ON  THE  FLAT.  —  HAL  EXCITED. 
—  AN  IMPROBABLE  STATEMENT. — READY  FOR  AN  ARGU 
MENT. —  THE  LETTER  FROM  JU  ANITA.  —  HAL  TRIUMPH 
ANT. 

T)OTH  Sile  and  I  were  filled  with  apprehension  when 
we  saw  the  litter.  It  was  evident  that  Jerry 
Benson  had  been  wounded  in  his  encounter  with  the 
Indians.  The  old  man  was  a  general  favorite  in  the 
camp,  and  the  fact  that  something  had  happened  to 
him  created  a  greater  sensation  than  the  appearance 
of  a  hundred  Apaches  would  have  produced. 

Most  of  the  hunters  followed  Sile  and  me  to  the  ford. 
The  litter  consisted  of  two  long  poles,  with  short 
pieces  lashed  across.  It  was  a  horse  litter.  Jacob 
rode  directly  ahead  of  Ben,  and  the  ends  of  the  pole 
were  suspended  from  the  backs  of  the  horses.  Behind 
rode  Hal  and  Ned.  The  moment  I  saw  Ned's  face  I 

201 


202  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

knew  that  something  serious  had  happened  to  Jerry ; 
and  Hal's  face  was  hardly  less  expressive. 

w  I  see  that  you  have  found  Jerry." 

I  was  the  first  to  speak.  I  don't  think  I  could 
have  told  from  the  expression  on  Ben  Cavendish's 
face  that  any  unusual  event  had  occurred.  He  was 
solemn  and  serious,  as  he  always  appeared,  but  no 
more  so ;  and  if  the  world  had  suddenly  come  to 
an  end  I  doubt  if  the  appalling  event  would  have 
changed  his  looks. 

"What  there  is  left  on  him,"  replied  the  Ken- 
tuckian,  hardly  looking  at  me  as  he  spoke. 

"How  badly  is  he  wounded?"  As  I  asked  the 
question  I  thought  how  badly  off  we  were  for  hospital 
supplies,  or  the  means  of  attending  to  a  dangerous 
wound. 

"Wounded,  jedge?"  said  Ben,  looking  into  my 
face  as  though  he  thought  I  was  quizzing  him. 

"  Is  he  dangerously  wounded  ?  " 

"He  ain't  wounded  at  all,  jedge  !  "  exclaimed  Ben. 

"Not  wounded?  Why  do  you  bring  him  in  a  litter 
then?" 

"He  ain't  wounded;  he  is  dead — dead  as  a  last 
year's  corn  stalk  !  " 

"Dead!" 

"Dead!"  repeated  all  who  were  near  enough  to 
hear  the  melancholy  announcement. 

I  had  not  expected  anything  so  bad  as  this,  and  I 
was  almost  paralyzed  by  the  intelligence.  Jerry  was 
my  oldest  friend,  and  had  been  with  me  longer  than 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  203 

any  other  man  in  the  expedition.  I  felt  as  though  I 
had  lost  a  brother ;  and  all  that  Jerry  had  been  to 
me,  and  all  that  he  had  done  for  me,  crowded  up 
before  me  as  I  stood  in  the  presence  of  his  dead 
body. 

I  looked  about  among  our  people,  and  I  saw  that 
some  of  them  were  shedding  tears.  I  felt  like  doing 
the  same  myself,  for  there  is  something  intensely  sad 
in  death  away  from  home  and  friends ;  in  the  wild 
regions  where  we  could  only  hurry  the  body  into  the 
ground,  or  conceal  it  in  the  interstices  of  the  rocks, 
so  that  the  savage  foe  could  not  desecrate  the  re 
mains. 

I  directed  several  of  the  hunters  to  take  the  body 
from  the  litter,  and  convey  it  respectfully  to  our 
camp.  Sile  Carter  took  charge  of  this  sad  office,  and 
I  saw  that  the  poor  fellow  could  hardly  keep  from 
sobbing.  He  had  faced  death  a  thousand  times  him 
self  without  wincing ;  but  he  seemed  to  be  almost  a 
baby  before  the  remains  of  his  friend. 

"  How  did  it  happen,  Ben?" 

The  Kentuckian  and  the  boys  had  ridden  their 
horses  into  the  water  and  had  stopped  to  let  them 
drink.  The  boys  watched  the  mournful  party  that 
bore  the  remains  of  poor  Jerry  to  the  camp. 

"I  hain't  the  least  idee  how  it  happened,"  replied 
Ben.  "  We  found  him  not  fifty  rod  from  where  we 
fought  them  Indians,  with  a  arrow  driven  into  his 
right  temple." 

"  Sile  and  I  heard  the  report  of  his  gun." 


204  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"He  couldn't  have  fired  his  gun  arter  that  arrer 
was  shot  into  his  brains  ;  and  he  must  have  let  it  off 
before  he  was  hit,"  added  Ben. 

"  Not  far  from  him  we  found  a  dead  Indian,"  added 
Hal.  "  His  head  was  half  blown  off  ;  and  Jerry  must 
have  shot  him  before  he  was  hit  himself." 

"  This  is  sad  business,  Ben." 

"  Of  course  it  is.  But  it  can't  be  helped.  Tain't 
no  use  to  cry  about  it,  though.  You  can't  fotch  him 
back  to  life  if  you  cry  a  whole  pond  full  of  water. 
Jerry  has  passed  in  his  chips  ;  and  he'll  never  chase 
no  more  Apaches,"  added  the  Kentuckian,  whose 
philosophy  appeared  to  correspond  with  the  expres 
sion  of  his  face. 

"  It  can't  be  helped,  of  course  ;  and  we  have  no  time 
to  go  into  a  season  of  mourning,  if  we  were  inclined 
to  do  so ;  but  we  have  more  feeling  than  the  rocks 
under  our  feet ;  at  least  some  of  us  have." 

"  I  reckon  that  means  that  I  hain't  got  no  feelin's  ; 
but  I  have.  I  reckon  I  feel  as  bad  as  any  on  you ; 
but  we  may  have  them  Apaches  down  upon  us  in  the 
next  seven  minutes  and  a  half." 

"  I  was  not  thinking  of  you  when  I  made  the 
remark.  I  know  you  have  feelings,  Ben ;  and  it  is 
not  always  those  who  make  the  most  fuss  about  it 
that  feel  the  deepest." 

"That's  true  as  preachin',  jedge.  We  can't  do 
nothin'  for  dead  folks,  and  we  must  look  out  for  the 
livin'.  I  reckon  the  boys  need  some  grub,  for  they 
have  been  as  good  as  little  chickens,  and  wan't  no 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  205 

more  afeerd  of  Apaches  than  any  chickens  would 
be." 

"  Dinner  is  all  ready  for  you ;  and  I  told  Linchpin 
to  have  a  good  meal  for  you ;  and  I  thought  Jerry 
would  come  to  share  it  with  you." 

"  Jerry  don't  wan't  nothin'  more  in  these  diggins, 
jedge.  I  wanted  to  go  out  and  look  arter  them  In- 
jens.  I  was  ready  and  willin'  to  go  ;  but  Jerry  stuck 
to  it  that  he  ought  to  go  ;  and  I  gin  in  to  him.  I 
reckon  I'm  sorry  I  did  now  ;  for  I  don't  reckon  you'd 
felt  so  bad  about  it  ef  it  hed  been  me  instid  of  him. 
Howsomdever,  it  can't  be  helped,  for  it  ain't  left  to 
us  to  say  who  shall  shuffle  oif  fust." 

We  went  sadly  to  the  camp,  and  the  searching 
party  took  their  dinner.  While  they  were  eating  I 
told  them  what  had  happened  in  their  absence.  I 
gave  them  the  particulars  of  the  two  scenes  we  had 
beheld  from  the  bluff.  I  described  the  shooting  of 
the  Indian  near  the  river  first,  and  the  attack  upon 
the  party  in  the  train,  winding  up  with  the  capture 
of  the  woman. 

I  had  scarcely  finished  the  details  of  the  carrying 
oif  of  the  female  before  Hal  sprang  to  his  feet,  and 
forgot  the  slice  of  ham  that  was  uneaten  in  his 
fingers.  Ben  heard  it  all  with  his  usual  stoicism,  and 
Ned  with  lively  interest,  but  without  a  demonstra 
tion  of  any  kind. 

"  Did  you  see  the  woman,  judge? "  demanded  Hal, 
in  great  excitement. 

"  I  did,  my  boy  ;  but  you  needn't  get  excited  about 


206  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKEES. 

it.  I  saw  the  whole  that  I  have  described  through 
the  glass ;  and  it  is  still  a  round  picture  in  my 
mind." 

"Was  she  young  or  old?"  asked  Hal,  feverishly. 

"  How  far  do  you  suppose  it  is  from  the  bluff  to  the 
place  where  the  attack  was  made,  Hal?" 

"  It  may  have  been  half  a  mile  ;  it  must  have  been, 
as  you  describe  the  place." 

"  Do  you  think  I  could  tell  the  age  of  a  woman 
half  a  mile  from  me  ?  " 

"  But  you  said  you  had  your  field-glass  ;  and  you 
say  that  it  is  a  very*  powerful  one,"  added  Hal,  who 
did  not  like  to  be  charged,  directly  or  indirectly, 
with  asking  absurd  questions. 

"  I  can't  say  that  I  even  saw  the  face  of  the  woman, 
as  she  was  struggling  in  the  grasp  of  a  muscular 
Apache,  with  his  horse  going  at  a  dead  run." 

"  Couldn't  you  make  out  anything  about  her, 
judge?"  asked  Hal,  who  seemed  to  have  a  strange 
interest  in  the  event,  aside  from  the  atrocities  in 
cluded  in  the  brief  drama  I  had  beheld. 

"  I  could  only  make  out  that  it  was  a  woman.  She 
may  have  been  sixteen  or  sixty,  though  she  was 
trying  to  make  a  vigorous  resistance  in  the  hands  of 
her  captor," 

"Judge,  I  believe  that  woman  was  Juanita ! "  ex 
claimed  Hal,  gorging  the  rest  of  his  meat,  as  though 
he  must  get  it  out  of  the  way  in  order  to  be  ready  for 
the  greatest  event  of  his  lifetime. 

"Juanita!" 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  207 

I  was  even  more  taken  aback  than  Hal  had  been. 
She  was  the  beloved  daughter  of  my  friend  and 
intended  partner  in  the  silver  mine  expedition.  I 
had  expected  him,  but  had  not  heard  a  word  from 
him.  But  I  concluded  that  Hal's  lively  recollection 
of  the  former  capture  of  Juanita  led  him  to  put  a  bad 
phase  on  the  narrative  I  had  recited.  Certainly  I 
could  think  of  no  way  in  which  he  could  be  better 
posted  in  regard  to  the  movements  of  Don  Ramon 
than  I  was  myself. 

"  Juanita ! "  exclaimed  Ned,  in  the  same  breath 
with  me.  "I  should  say  that  it  was  quite  impossible 
it  could  have  been  the  daughter  of  Don  Ramon." 

"Quite  impossible." 

Necl  spoke  my  sentiments  exactly.  Hal  had  done 
nothing  but  think  of  the  beautiful  Mexican  maiden 
during  the  winter  and  spring,  and  he  could  not  keep 
her  wholly  out  of  his  talk.  I  have  no  doubt  he 
thought  a  hundred  times  more  than  he  said  on  such 
a  subject. 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  at  all  impossible.  Didn't  you 
write  to  Don  Ramon  that  you  was  going  to  search  for 
the  silver  mine?"  demanded  Hal,  who  was  evidently 
prepared  to  make  a  strong  argument  in  favor  of  his 
side  of  the  question. 

"I  did  write  to  him,  giving  full  particulars  of  what 
I  intended  to  do,  and  the  route  I  should  take  to  reach 
this  region.  But  I  have  heard  nothing  from  him ; 
and  if  he  intended  to  join  me,  he  would  certainly 
have  written  me  to  that  eifect,  or  even  sent  a  special 


208  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

messenger  to  inform  me  of  his  purpose.  He  knows 
what  this  part  of  the  country  is  even  better  than  I  do  ; 
and  he  would  not  have  run  the  risk  of  taking  his 
daughter  through  this  territory  alone  when  he  could 
just  as  well  have  done  it  with  our  party." 

I  did  not  believe  Hal  could  get  over  so  clear  an 
argument  as  this  was  ;  and  I  banished  from  my  mind 
the  possibility  that  the  unfortunate  female  could  have 
been  Juanita. 

"  I  happen  to  know  that  Don  Ramon  was  coming 
to  join  you  !  "  exclaimed  Hal,  earnestly 

"You  happen  to  know  it !  " 

"I  happen  to  know  it,  judge,"  persisted  Hal. 

"  How  could  you  know  it,  Hal  ?  If  any  letter  was 
sent  to  you,  had  it  any  better  chance  of  reaching  its 
destination  than  one  from  Don  Ramon  to  me  ?  " 

"  One,  two,  or  three  mails  may  have  been  captured 
by  the  Indians,  but  one  that  contained  a  letter  for  me 
may  have  come  while  all  yours  were  lost.  In  fact 
one  did  come  for  me,  and  I  have  it  now,"  added  Hal, 
triumphantly. 

"  And  you  did  not  say  a  word  to  me  about  it  ?  " 

"  And  you  did  not  say  a  word  to  me  that  you  had 
not  received  expected  letters  until  we  started  on  this 
expedition,  judge,"  replied  Hal,  warmly. 

Hal  suggested  the  truth.  He  and  I  were  not 
always  on  confidential  terms. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

HAL'S  EXPLANATION.  —  THE  BOY  IS  EXCUSED.  —  HE  BECOMES 
DESPERATE.  —  BEN^S  VIEWS  OP  THE  CASE.  —  THE  BUKIAL 
OF  THE  DEAD.  —  A  SAD  OCCASION.  —  THE  GRAVE  ON  THE 
HILL.  —  THE  LAST  RITES.  —  HOW  WE  LEFT  THE  GRAVE.  — 
CASTLE  HILL  AS  A  FORTRESS.  —  BEN  EXPRESSES  HIS 
OPINION.  —  PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  BRIDGE.  —  THE  EX 
PEDITION  TO  THE  FLAT. 


you  have  known  that  Don  Ramon  was  com- 
ing  for  weeks,  when  I  have  not  heard  a  word 
from  him?" 

It  seemed  very  strange  that  he  had  not  given  me  a 
hint  of  some  sort.  But  then  it  occurred  to  me  that 
Hal  and  I  had  not  always  agreed  very  well,  aside 
from  a  want  of  confidence  on  my  part.  Hal  was  in 
his  tantrums  before  we  started,  and  it  was  only  until 
within  a  few  days  that  entire  harmony  had  been  re 
stored.  It  was  possible  that  he  had  kept  his  intelli 
gence  to  himself  out  of  spite  ;  but  more  likely  because 
he  did  not  like  to  be  teased  in  regard  to  the  beautiful 
Mexican.  Possibly  he  feared  that  he  might  be  called 
upon  to  read  so  important  a  letter,  or  that  he  would 
be  "  pumped  "  to  know  what  it  contained.  On  the 

209 


210  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

whole  I  thought  Hal's  position  was  more  reasonable 
than  when  I  first  looked  at  it. 

"  You  and  I  have  not  been  on  the  best  of  terms  all 
the  time,  judge  ;  and  I  didn't  care  to  have  it  known 
that  I  had  a  letter  from  Juanita.  Besides  she  only 
speaks  of  corning  this  way  as  a  matter  of  course,  as 
though  we  all  knew  about  it,"  Hal  explained ;  and  I 
was  satisfied  that  he  wished  he  had  mentioned  the 
letter,  or  at  least  the  important  information  it  con 
tained. 

I  though  it  prudent  to  say  nothing  more  about  the 
matter.  The  boy  was  in  love  ;  and  I  am  a  bachelor. 
I  thought  that  explained  any  remarkable  conduct  on 
his  part.  He  had  been  doing  very  well  lately,  and  I 
desired  to  encourage  him  all  I  could.  After  all,  it 
was  not  very  strange,  under  the  circumstances,  that 
he  did  not  tell  anybody  he  had  a  letter  from  "  his 
girl." 

"  It  is  all  right,  Hal ;  and  I  won't  find  any  fault  at 
all  with  you.  I  don't  see  that  it  would  have  made  a 
particle  of  difference  if  I  had  read  your  letter." 

"  But  Juanita  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  and  I 
am  wasting  my  time  in  eating  ham  and  hard  tack  ! " 
exclaimed  the  boy,  who  was  inclined  to  jump  up  into 
the  air  in  order  to  do  something,  whether  it  did  any 
good  or  not. 

"  I  should  have  sent  out  a  party  to  look  out  for  the 
travellers,  and  I  considered  the  matter  with  that  in 
tention.  I  found  that  it  was  not  prudent  to  do  any 
thing  until  your  party  returned.  We  had  only  seven 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  211 

hunters  left  to  guard  the  camp ;  and  we  have  been 
expecting  an  attack  from  the  Apaches  every  minute 
for  the  last  two  hours." 

"I  reckon  there  won't  be  no  attack  to-day,  jedge," 
added  Ben.  "  We  shall  hear  from  the  critters  to-night, 
after  we  think  it  is  about  time  to  go  to  sleep." 

"But  can't  something  be  done  for  Don  Eamon's 
party?  I  will  follow  Juanita  into  the  camp  of  the 
Apaches  !  I  will  have  her  again,  if  the  villains  haven't 
—  if  they  haven't  killed  her,"  cried  Hal,  almost  beside 
himself,  and  with  a  shudder  as  he  mentioned  the  pos 
sible  fate  of  the  unfortunate  girl. 

"Keep  cool,  Hal.  It  is  by  no  means  certain  that 
the  party  attacked  was  Don  Ramon's,  though  we 
ought  to  assist  them  if  we  can,  whoever  they  are." 

"  I  am  as  sure  as  I  can  be  that  it  was  Don  Ramon's 
party  ;  and  they  may  be  all  killed  before  this  time  ; 
or,  if  not,  they  will  be  disposed  of  soon,  unless  we  do 
something  for  them." 

"  Don't  get  so  excited  that  you  can't  do  anything, 
Hal,"  interposed  Ned. 

"Ef  we  go  that  boy  ought  not  to  go  with  us," 
added  Ben,  bestowing  a  look  of  compassion  upon  the 
lover.  "  He's  a  clean-gone  lunatic,  and  he  ain't  no 
more  fit  to  fight  Injens  in  that  sitevation  than  he  is  to 
ketch  chickens  when  his  head's  shot  off." 

:f  You  are  getting  along  altogether  too  fast  in  your 
conclusions,  Hal.  I  have  told  you  what  I  saw 
through  my  glass ;  and  that  was  only  a  very  little. 
I  did  not  see  much  of  the  fight ;  and  for  aught  I  know 


212  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

Don  Ramon  may  have  beaten  off  the  Indians,  and 
recovered  his  daughter.  He  is  a  very  rich  man,  and 
he  knows  the  perils  of  this  country.  It  is  probable 
that  he  had  a  sufficient  escort,  composed  of  men  in 
whom  he  had  confidence." 

"  Mexicans  !  "  exclaimed  Hal,  in  utter  disgust.  "  I 
would  give  more  for  Ben  Cavendish  than  I  would  for 
a  hundred  of  them  !  " 

Possibly  this  was  a  stroke  of  policy  to  conciliate 
the  Kentuckian,  who  had  spoken  of  him  as  a  lunatic, 
and  unfit  to  engage  in  any  expedition  for  the  assist 
ance  of  the  travellers  on  the  flat. 

"  I  don't  reckon  the  gal's  killed,  Sonny,"  continued 
Ben,  quietly.  "Perhaps  by  this  time,  if  they  really 
tooken  her,  she  wishes  she  hed  been." 

"  You  will  drive  me  mad  !  "  exclaimed  Hal,  in  the 
approved  fashion  of  young  men  in  his  condition.  "I 
must  go  and  look  for  Juanita  !  I  will  go  if  I  have  to 
go  alone !" 

"Just  as  soon  as  your  horses  get  a  bite,  Hal,  I 
shall  send  out  a  party  to  see  what  had  become  of  the 
train  that  was  attacked." 

"  The  horses  haven't  been  worked  hard  to-day. 
They  haven't  been  ridden  more  than  ten  miles  since 
we  saddled  them  this  morning,"  protested  Hal,  with 
terrible  earnestness ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  he  would 
have  rushed  into  the  first  band  of  Indians  that  came 
in  his  way,  if  we  permitted  him  to  do  so  ;  and  I  was 
not  sure  that  we  should  not  be  under  the  necessity  of 
restraining  him  by  force. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  213 

"'Tain't  no  time  to  do  nothin'  now,  my  little 
chicken,"  said  Ben,  with  apparent  indifference.  "I 
don't  know  but  I'd  take  a  contrack  to  git  back  that 
gal,  if  she's  been  tooken,  as  you  say ;  but  things 
must  be  handled  right,  or  'tain't  no  use.  I  reckon  if 
you  go  to  work,  Sonny,  as  you  talk,  the  Injens  will 
kill  the  gal  jest  to  spite  you.  Cold  steel  cuts  best ; 
and  don't  git  heated,  little  chicken." 

We  quieted  Hal  after  a  while,  but  it  was  only  with 
the  express  promise  that  a  party  should  be  sent  out 
that  afternoon  to  ascertain  what  had  become  of  Don 
Ramon  and  Juanita,  if  they  proved  to  have  been  the 
persons  attacked.  The  suggestion  made  by  Ben 
Cavendish  that  he  might  not  be  permitted  to  join  the 
party  to  visit  the  flat,  probably  had  more  influence 
with  him  than  anything  else. 

With  such  parties  as  ours,  it  is  not  the  custom  to 
retain  the  remains  of  the  dead  in  camp  longer  than  is 
necessary.  More  or  less  of  these  rude  hunters  arc 
superstitious,  and  the  presence  of  a  corpse  had  a 
strange  influence  upon  them.  Besides,  we  could  not 
know  that  we  should  not  be  compelled  to  change  our 
camping-ground  within  a  few  hours,  and  to  do  so 
without  much  notice.  Our  present  position  was  so 
strong  I  could  not  believe  that  such  necessity  would 
arise  on  our  own  account,  but  I  thought  it  advisable 
to  place  the  remains  of  poor  Jerry  in  their  last  rest 
ing-place  on  earth. 

Though  we  might  not  be  obliged  to  move  our 
quarters  on  our  own  account,  if  the  party  attacked 


214  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

on  the  flat  was  really  Don  Ramon,  it  might  be  desira 
ble  to  change  our  position  in  order  to  render  more 
efficient  assistance  to  him.  With  the  two  twelve- 
pounders  we  could  make  it  terribly  hot  for  the 
Apaches.  Possibly  the  sound  of  the  guns  would 
frighten  them  off,  for  probably  the  most  of  them  had 
never  heard  the  report  of  a  cannon. 

I  had  given  direction  for  the  preparation  of  Jerry's 
body  for  burial.  It  was  little  that  we  could  do  in  this 
way ;  but  we  did  all  that  the  circumstances  would 
permit.  A  grave  had  been  dug  on  the  summit  of  the 
hill,  behind  a  clump. of  trees,  so  that  the  Apaches, 
if  any  were  near,  could  not  see  what  we  were  doing. 

We  bore  the  remains  of  our  friend  to  this  place  of 
sepulture.  All  the  hunters  reverently  uncovered  as 
they  laid  the  body  by  the  grave.  I  read  the  burial 
service  in  a  low  tone,  and  the  men  then  lowered  the 
cold  form  into  its  last  resting-place.  Two  of  the 
hunters  kept  guard  within  sight  of  the  party,  in  order 
to  warn  us  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy ;  but  none 
interrupted  the  mournful  ceremony 

In  civilized  communities,  care  is  taken  to  mark  the 
grave  of  the  departed,  even  if  no  more  than  the 
mound  of  turf  is  raised  ;  but  it  was  different  with  us, 
with  a  deadly  foe  near  us.  We  took  every  care  to 
remove  anything  which  would  indicate  that  a  human 
being  had  been  buried  in  this  spot.  Even  the  grave 
was  not  sacred  from  the  polluting  touch  of  the 
Apaches.  We  smoothed  over  the  ground,  and  then 
piled  rocks  carelessly  upon  the  grave ;  and  when  we 


mi* 


mm  \ 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  215 

returned  to  the  camp  there  was  nothing  to  show  that 
the  hill  was  a  cemetery. 

When  this  sad  service  was  over,  I  had  a  long  talk 
with  Ben  in  regard  to  what  was  to  be  done  for  the 
party  below.  We  had  now  only  twelve  hunters,  and 
eight  vaqueros  upon  whom  we  could  depend  for  any 
service  in  the  field.  It  was  not  prudent  to  go  down 
upon  the  flat  with  less  than  half  of  this  number. 

"Ben,  if  we  could  get  over  on  Castle  Hill  we 
could  hold  our  own  against  all  the  Indians  in  the 
territory." 

I  could  not  get  rid  of  this  idea,  and  I  hoped  that 
some  way  would  be  found  by  which  our  camp  might 
be  removed  to  this  strong  position.  I  had  walked 
along  the  canon  at  least  twenty  times,  trying  to  find 
a  practicable  approach  to  the  coveted  natural  fortress. 
"  I  have  looked  that  place  over  before ;  and  I 
reckon  we  kin  git  over  thar  somehow,"  replied  Ben, 
casting  his  eyes  over  the  canon. 

"  Can  you  point  out  any  way  to  do  it?" 
"That  caravel  is  terrible  heavy,"  he  added. 
"  It  is  not  so  heavy  as  a  wagon  of  that  size  would 
be.     Of  course  we   should  unload  it  before  we  at 
tempted  to  get  it  over ;  and  we  could  roll  the  guns 
over  on  their  carriages." 

"  I  suppose  you  hain't  got  more'n  one  axe ;  least 
wise  I  hain't  seen  but  one." 

"  We  have  at  least  three  sharp  axes,  for  I  thought 
it  likely  wTe  might  have  to  do  some  work  with  them 
in  looking  up  the  mine." 


216  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  Three  axes  !  "  exclaimed  Ben.  "  Then  we  eould 
build  a  bridge  over  the  Gila.  I  reckon  there  ain't  no 
diffi  kilty  about  it.  All  we  want  is  the  timber;  and  I 
reckon  there  is  all  we  want." 

"  There  are  two  trees  on  the  bank  of  the  cafion  that 
are  tall  enough  to  reach  across  the  chasm." 

"I  seen  'em;  but  I  don't  reckon  you'd  better  cut 
'em  down.  We  have  bosses  enough  to  haul  the 
sticks  ;  but  we  want  them  trees  whar  they  be." 

Sile  Carter  was  a  down-easter,  and  wood-chopping 
was  the  principal  part  of  his  early  education.  I 
called  him  in,  and  told  him  what  I  intended  to  do. 
He  was  delighted  with  the  plan  to  make  our  camp  on 
Castle  Hill.  We  had  three  ordinary  axes  and  a 
broad-axe.  Sile  got  these  out,  and  found  several  of 
the  hunters  who  had  seen  some  service  as  woodmen. 

Sile  was  to  begin  at  once  on  the  work  of  getting 
out  the  logs  for  the  bridge  over  the  canon.  I  di 
rected  him  to  keep  a  guard  posted  that  could  see 
every  approach  to  the  position.  Buck  Sykes  was 
appointed  chief  of  artillery,  and  all  the  men  who  had 
seen  service  in  this  arm  were  to  remain. 

Ben  Cavendish  was  to  conduct  the  party  on  the 
flats.  I  decided  to  go  with  him,  for  if  Don  Ramon 
was  really  one  of  the  number,  I  wanted  to  see  him  as 
soon  as  any  one.  It  would  not  have  been  possible  to 
prevent  Hal  and  Ned  from  joining  the  active  party. 
Each  of  the  six  hunters  was  provided  with  a  Sharpe's 
rifle,  in  addition  to  his  regular  weapon.  We  were 
all  ready  for  a  start. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

COMPOSITION  OF  THE  TWO  FORCES. — DOWN  THE  HILL. — 
WIIEKE  THE  ENEMY  WERE.  —  SCOUTS  WANTED.  —  THE 
KENTUCKIAN'S  SELECTION.  —  PRIVATE  INSTRUCTIONS.— 
THE  ROUTE  OF  THE  SCOUTS.  —  ALONG  THE  TRAIL  BY  THE 
RIVER. — THE  WAGON  TRACK.  —  A  CURIOUS  HALT. — 

READY      FOR      ACTION. — BEN^S       SHOT. — A       DIABOLICAL 
YELL. 

TT7E  served  out  six  Sharpe's  rifles  to  Bile's  men ; 
and  with  the  two  guns  in  position  to  blow  the 
Apaches  out  of  existence  in  squads  if  they  made  an 
attack,  I  left  with  the  feeling  that  the  camp  was  safe, 
and  in  good  hands. 

Our  six  hunters  and  four  vaqueros  were  all 
mounted ;  and  all  supplied  with  provisions  for  three 
days.  With  what  game  we  were  likely  to  shoot,  wre 
could  subsist  for  a  week  without  any  hardship.  A 
couple  of  pack-horses  were  to  carry  what  utensils  and 
extra  supplies  we  needed. 

Hal  was  extremely  impatient,  though  he  did  his 
best  to  control  himself.  He  was  thinking  of  Juanita 
all  the  time,  and  he  would  not  admit  the  possibility" 
that  the  lady  carried  off  by  the  Indians  could  have 
been  any  other  lady.  But  we  all  saw  that  he  was 

217 


218  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

greatly  distressed,  and  we  did  not  tease  him,  as  many 
of  the  party  had  done  before. 

We  rode  out  across  the  ford,  and  down  the  steep 
hill,  which,  with 4  many  windings,  led  to  the  flat. 
Nature  seemed  to  have  made  a  succession  of  small 
hills,  so  graded  in  height  as  to  render  the  passage 
from  the  plain  to  the  hills  above  practicable.  So  far 
as  I  knew  there  was  not  another  place  where  the 
summit  of  the  plateau  could  be  reached  within  thirty 
miles.  Probably  the  Indians  had  some  way  of  com 
ing  down  and  going  up ;  if  they  had,  it  must  have 
been  by  the  way  of  some  of  the  numerous  canons 
which  we  saw  in  the  side  of  the  cliff. 

I  did  not  believe  that  a  passage  could  be  effected 
with  horses.  As  I  had  seen  some  of  the  Apaches 
that  attacked  the  party  of  travellers  mounted,  I  con 
cluded  that  the  horses  they  used  had  been  those 
stolen  from  Major  Galloupe.  My  impression  is  that 
the  plateau,  extending  for  over  thirty  miles,  was  only 
a  shelf  on  the  side  of  the  range  of  mountains  to  be 
seen  farther  to  the  southward  and  westward.  It 
seemed  impossible  that  the  flat  could  be  reached 
with  horses  from  the  other  si^e. 

There  were  Apaches  on  the  flat  and  on  the  plateau  ; 
but  I  was  satisfied  that  there  was  no  means  of  ready 
communication  between  the  two  bodies.  In  this 
opinion  Ben  Cavendish  coincided  with  me.  It  was 
necessary  to  know  this  in  order  to  make  our  plans 
for  action.  Our  expedition  consisted  of  only  ten 
men ;  and  as  I  had  seen  two  separate  parties  of  the 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  219 

Indians  on  the   flat,  it  was   plain   enough  that   the 
enemy  had  at  least  five  men  to  our  one. 

We  descended  the  succession  of  hills  and  reached 
the  flat.  We  moved  first  to  the  point  where  we  had 
seen  the  band  from  the  projecting  bluff.  We  scouted 
the  vicinity  very  thoroughly  without  finding  any 
signs  of  the  enemy.  They  had  apparently  abandoned 
the  idea  of  ascending  the  slope  down  which  we  had 
come,  if  that  had  been  their  intention.  I  have  no 
doubt  they  had  examined  our  location,  and  had  con 
cluded  that  we  were  in  a  bad  position  for  them. 

"  'Taint  no  use  to  ride  over  this  flat  looking  for 
Apaches,"  said  Ben,  after  we  had  assured  ourselves 
that  there  were  no  Indians  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  our  camp  on  the  hill.  tr  We  mought  knock  about 
here  for  seven  year  without  seeing  one  on  'em." 

"  You  have  the  command  of  this  party,  Ben,  and 
you  shall  manage  the  hunt  as  you  think  best." 
,  "  The  critters  is  hid  in  some  of  these  clumps  of 
trees,  or  in  the  holes  in  the  side  of  the  bluff.  Them 
Injens  is  smarter  than  a  Kaintucky  coon,  and  taiu't 
no  use  to  try  to  do  nothin'  with  'em  ef  you  don't  do  it 
in  their  way.  They  lead  you  one  way,  and  pitch  into 
you  some  other  way.  Now  I  reckon  we  must  play 
that  dodge  on  'em  ourselves,"  continued  Ben,  as  we 
gathered  around  him,  sheltered  from  observation  by 
a  clump  of  bushes. 

"We  are  all  ready  to  do  just  what  you  say,  Ben." 

"  I  know  you  be,  but  I  want  to  have  you  all  git  an 
idea  of  what's  to  be  done.  I  want  the  two  spryest 


220  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

fellers  in  the  squad,"  replied  Ben,  looking  over  all 
the  party.  He  did  not  consider  me  as  coining  under 
that  head,  and  he  did  not  waste  any  time  in  thinking 
whether  or  not  to  send  me  as  one  of  the  two. 

I  suggested  Jacob  Jager  as  the  smartest  man 
physically  in  the  expedition,  and  the  Kentuckian 
selected  him  the  first. 

"  I  dinks  Ned  is  the  man  to  go  mit  me,"  said  Jacob, 
proud  to  be  the  first  chosen. 

"  Eight  you  are,  Jake  ;  Ned  is  the  'tother,"  added 
Ben. 

"  Don't  you  think  I  had  better  be  one  of  them," 
added  Hal,  nervously. 

"  I  reckon  you  ain't  the  one  for  jest  this  work.  I 
mought  have  something  for  you  a  little  later  on.  I 
want  you  with  me,  Sonny,"  replied  Ben.  "  These 
two  are  for  special  duty." 

Ben  took  Jake  and  Ned  aside,  and  talked  to  them 
for  a  considerable  time,  and  he  did  not  care  to  have 
any  of  us  hear  what  he  said.  The  two  scouts  were 
to  proceed  on  foot,  their  horses  to  be  led  with  the 
main  body.  Each  of  them  had  a  Sharpe's  rifle  and  his 
usual  gun,  besides  a  revolver.  Each  of  them  could 
fire  sixteen  shots  without  stopping  to  load.  The 
rifles  were  slung  over  their  shoulders,  and  the  gun 
was  carried  in  the  hand,  while  the  revolver  was  in 
the  belt. 

The  scouts,  or  whatever  they  were,  started  en  the 
perilous  duty.  All  I  knew  then  was  that  they  were 
to  move  to  the  eastward,  keeping  as  close  to  the  cliff 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  221 

as  the  condition  of  the  country  would  permit.  The 
horse-party,  in  which  I  remained,  followed  the  trail 
by  which  we  had  reached  the  ford  in  the  forenoon. 
As  we  rode  along,  Ben  gave  me  the  details  of  the 
strategy  he  had  adopted.  It  appeared  (hat  our  party 
were  the  decoys  to  lure  the  Indians  from  their  hid 
ing-places. 

What  we  called  the  flat,  along  which  we  had  been 
riding  for  a  week,  was  from  half  a  mile  to  a  mile 
wide.  There  was  every  variety  of  country  within  a 
mile  of  us  —  swamps,  woodlands,  cliffs,  caves,  and 
canons,  the  rushing  river,  and  many  tributary  streams, 
that  came  down  from  the  mountains  through  the 
chasms  in  the  Avail  of  rock  on  our  left.  It  was  early 
in  the  season,  and  the  streams  were  full,  and  I 
doubted  if  the  canons  were  passable  on  account  of  the 
quantity  of  water. 

We  rode  till  we  came  to  the  main  trail  by  the 
river,  from  which  we  had  turned  off  to  ascend  the 
hills.  Here  we  halted  to  enable  the  scouts  to  keep 
within  operating  distance  of  us.  They  were  creeping 
stealthily  along,  crossing  streams  where  there  was 
not  a  ford  smoothed  out  for  them  by  the  passage  of 
teams,  and  climbing  the  rocks  at  the  foot  of  the 
bluff. 

We  passed  the  clump  of  trees  behind  which  most 
of  the  fight  between  the  travellers  and  the  Indians 
had  occurred.  So  far  we  saw  no  signs  of  Indians  or 
white  men.  We  found  the  tracks  of  a  wagon  which 
did  not  correspond  with  that  of  the  caravel  or  the 


222  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

other  vehicle  in  our  possession.     We  halted  at  this 
place  to  examine  the  trail. 

"  See  hyer,"  said  Ben,  in  his  stolid  manner. 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  You  kin  see  that  the  wagin  turned  about  here, 
and  the  track  leads  t'other  way .  I  reckon  the  party 
went  back  to  look  for  the  gal,"  said  Ben. 

"  Don  Ramon  wouldn't  leave  when  his  daughter 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  Apaches,"  added  Hal,  strug 
gling  to  restrain  his  impetuous  nature. 

"  I  reckon  that's  so.  Ef  we  foller  this  wagin  track, 
we  shall  find  the  party  that  fit  the  Injens,  whether 
it  was  Don  What-you-call-him,  or  some  other  don," 
replied  Ben,  as  he  moved  forward  again.  "  I  reckon 
we've  got  at  sunthin,  and  whar  thar's  a  beginning 
tain't  onlikely  thar's  an  end  some  whar." 

We  were  behind  the  trees,  as  seen  from  the  bluff, 
and  the  ground  was  badly  cut  up  by  the  movements 
of  horses,  but  the  wagon  had  passed  after  the  stirring 
up  of  the  earth. 

"  That  looks  well,  Ben.  The  party  were  not  all 
killed  or  captured,  for  there  were  enough  of  them 
left  with  heads  on  their  shoulders  to  bring  up  the 
wagon." 

rf  That's  jest  so,  jedge.  Ef  the  Indians  took  that 
wagin  they  couldn't  haul  it  across  the  flat  about  here. 
We  shall  come  to  it,  if  Ave  heve  to  foller  down  to 
the  Salinas,"  replied  Ben,  who  was  happy  in  the  belief 
that  his  plan  was  working  well,  though  I  could  not 
help  feeling  a  great  deal  of  anxiety  about  Ned  Brown. 


THE   YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS.  223 

We  had  reached  a  point  where  we  could  see  about 
a  mile  ahead  down  the  trail  by  the  river's  side.  No 
wagon,  or  any  indication  of  the  travellers  was  to  be 
seen.  It  was  not  more  than  two  miles  back  to  the 
spot  where  we  had  pitched  our  camp  the  night  be 
fore.  The  vicinity  of  Castle  Hill  seemed  to  be  a 
favorite  resort  for  the  Apaches,  for  Major  Galloupe 
had  lost  his  horses  in  this  region.  It  was  certainly 
adapted  to  the  operations  of  such  a  foe. 

We  proceeded  another  mile,  and  then  Ben  ordered 
a  second  halt,  which  seemed  to  be  very  unnecessary, 
for  we  could  see  the  trail  of  the  particular  wagon  we 
were  following.  But  Ben  kept  up  a  tremendous 
thinking  all  the  time,  and  I  did  not  venture  to  ques 
tion  his  proceedings. 

"  Git  down  oft'  your  horses,"  said  he.  "  But  I 
reckon  you'd  better  be  ready  to  git  up  again  quicker'n 
chain  lightnin'  ever  slid  down  a  crab-apple  tree." 

"  What's  to  be  done  now,  Ben?  " 

"  I  reckon  we're  g'on'  to  git  a  brush  in  less'n  fo' 
minutes  and  a  half.  We  hain'  got  no  time  to  talk 
about  it,  nuther." 

"  I  don't  see  anything  that  looks  like  the  enemy, 
Ben." 

"  Keep  your  peepers  peeled,  and  you'll  see  'em 
afo'  your  bar  gits  any  grayer.  Git  your  bosses  in 
atween  you  and  the  bluff." 

It  seemed  to  me  that  this  was  rather  an  odd  pro 
ceeding  if  an  immediate  attack  was  expected.  Instead, 
of  putting  ourselves  into  a  condition  to  meet  an  on- 


224  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

slaught,  such  as  the  Apaches  make,  we  were  likely  to 
be  caught  standing  on  the  ground. 

"  Now,  look  kinder  keerless.  Don't  look  over  to 
the  bluff,  'cept  through  one  corner  of  the  nigh  eye," 
said  Ben,  as  unmoved  as  though  he  were  arranging 
the  figures  for  a  wax  show. 

I  gathered  from  this  order  that  we  were  to  look  as 
though  we  didn't  expect  an  attack,  and  I  was  very 
skeptical  about  any  being  made,  for  I  could  neither 
see  nor  hear  anything  that  indicated  the  approach  of 
the  Indians. 

"  Now  shift  your  seven-shooter  rifles  over  in  front 
of  you,  what  you  can  git  at  'em  when  you  want  'em." 

We  obeyed  this  order,  but  I  wondered  what  the 
Kentuckian  had  seen  which  induced  him  to  make  this 
kind  of  preparation.  But  I  had  never  known  Ben  to 
get  up  a  scare  for  nothing,  and  generally  he  seemed 
to  be  too  reckless.  He  said  little,  but  he  always 
appeared  to  know  what  was  going  on  within  a  mile 
of  him. 

Every  man  of  the  party  arranged  his  extra  rifle  so 
that  it  would  be  available  at  an  instant's  warning. 
The  leader  did  all  that  he  directed  the  rest  of  us  to 
do.  Suddenly  the  Kentuckian  levelled  his  long  rifle 
across  his  saddle  and  fired. 

The  next  instant  the  most  diabolical  yell  I  ever 
heard  sounded  within  a  few  rods  of  us. 


CHAPTER  XXVIL 

"KINDER  KEERLESS." — MOUNTING  IN  A  HURRY. —THE  FALL 
EN  RIDER. —  THE  ONSLAUGHT  OF  THE  SAVAGES.  — A  VOL 
LEY  OF  ARROWS  AND  BULLETS. — NOISE  AND  VICTORY.— 
THE  RIDERLESS  STEED.  —  ENOUGH  OF  IT.  —  APACHE  HORSE 
MANSHIP. —  BEN'S  STRANGE  MOVEMENT.  — THE  RETREAT. 
—  THE  LITTLE  GROVE.  —  THE  KENTUCKIAN'S  TACTICS.  — 
EFFECTIVE  SHOTS.  —  A  SPIRITED  CHASE.  —  ANOTHER 
HORSE  WITHOUT  A  RIDER.  —  INTO  THE  MORASS. 

PHE  Apaches'  yell  was  familiar  enough  to  me  ;  but 
•  they  are  more  apt  to  attack  without  any  yell  than 
with  one.  Doubtless  they  supposed  we  were  unpre 
pared  for  them,  as  the  Kentuckian  intended  they 
should  think.  Ben  had  required  us  to  face  our 
horses  to  the  east,  and  stand  behind  them. 

As  our  leader  explained  this  afterwards,  it  was  not 
only  to  make  us  look  "  kinder  keerless,"  but  also  that 
the  horses  might  serve  as  so  many  breastworks  if 
the  foe  should  open  Avith  a  volley  of  ball  or  arrows, 
as  they  generally  did  in  such  an  onslaught. 

"  Git  on  your  bosses,"  said  Ben,  in  his  easy  and 
careless  manner,  when  he  had  fired  his  lono-  rifle. 

O 

We  sprang  into  our  saddles  at  a  bound  ;  and  Ben 
had  placed  the  horses  in  position  so  that  it  could  be 
done  in  an  instant,  and  without  turning  the  animals. 

225 


226  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

Breaking  from  one  of  a  continuous  succession  of 
patches  of  trees  and  bushes  extending  across  the  flat, 
I  saw  a  band  of  Apaches,  about  half  of  whom  were 
mounted.  This  is  what  I  saw  as  soon  as  I  was  in  my 
saddle,  and  had  a  chance  to  look  in  the  direction  from 
which  the  yell  came. 

Ben  had  levelled  his  rifle  across  his  saddle  before 
the  yell  announced  the  coming  of  the  enemy.  The 
headmost  man  of  the  band,  wrho  was  mounted  on  a 
fine  horse,  was  in  the  act  of  springing  up  into  the  air 
when  I  glanced  in  that  direction.  It  was  his  death- 
struggle,  for  he  tumbled  into  the  midst  of  his  fol 
lowers  like  a  clod  or  a  rock.  He  could  not  have 
known  what  hurt  him. 

His  companions  rode  over  him,  for  they  could  not 
check  their  steeds  in  season  to  avoid  doing  so.  The 
horse  of  the  fallen  rider  dashed  forward.  The  savage 
yell  had  frightened  him,  but  he  was  borne  on  by  the 
animals  behind  him.  Eelieved  of  his  burden,  he 
began  to  make  the  most  frantic  leaps,  galloping  madly 
towards  our  party. 

"  Fire  away  !  You  needn't  wait  no  longer,"  said 
Ben,  as  he  brought  his  seven-shooter  to  his  shoulder, 
and  discharged  it. 

Of  course  the  men  on  horses  outstripped  the  ones 
on  foot,  though  the  latter  ran  with  all  their  might. 
Another  dropped  when  the  Kentuckian  fired  the 
second  time.  Still  the  fiends  yelled  as  though  they 
thought  that  mere  noise  would  win  the  victory  for 
them. 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  227 

By  this  time  we  heard  the  report  of  three  or  four 
guns,  and  a  flight  of  arrows  passed  over  our  heads. 
Not  one  of  us  was  hit,  though  I  heard  a  bullet  whistle 
uncomfortably  near  my  head.  Firing  on  horseback 
evidently  was  not  the  forte  of  the  Apaches.  I  dis 
charged  one  barrel  of  my  gun,  but  several  of  our 
party  fired  by  this  time,  and  I  could  not  tell  what 
execution  I  had  done.  Four  of  the  Indians  slipped 
out  of  their  saddles,  and  dropped  upon  the  ground. 

The  steed  of  the  leader  dashed  in  close  to  us,  and 
the  horses  of  the  others  who  had  fallen  took  the  same 
direction.  They  all  ran  towards  the  river,  and  when 
that  headed  them  off  they  returned  to  the  trail  by  a 
circuitous  course,  and  continued  to  run  up  the  stream. 
Five  horses  had  thus  left  their  burdens  behind 
them. 

Thus  early  in  the  onslaught,  and  before  they  had 
come  within  a  hundred  feet  of  us,  the  Apaches 
seemed  to  have  had  enough  of  this  unequal  warfare. 
We  should  surely  have  brought  down  the  rest  of  them 
if  they  had  continued  on  their  course.  As  near  as  I 
could  make  the  count,  there  were  thirty  of  the  foe. 
Seven  more  remained  on  their  horses,  but  they 
sheered  off  to  the  west. 

Then  the  Apache  horsemen  exhibited  some  of  their 
peculiar  equestrianism.  They  all  lay  over  on  the 
side  of  their  animals,  so  that  they  were  concealed, 
except  one  leg,  from  us.  In  this  position  they  ap 
peared  to  be  circling  around  us.  The  few  who  had 
guns  fired  across  the  backs  of  their  horses. 


228  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  Don't  you  mind  them  jest  yit,"  said  Ben,  as  he 
directed  his  fire  to  the  Indians  on  foot. 

We  obeyed  the  order,  and  several  of  the  footmen 
dropped  to  the  earth  either  killed  or  disabled  by 
wounds.  Probably  more  of  them  were  hit  than  was 
indicated  in  this  manner.  But  they  soon  had  all  they 
wanted  of  this  sort  of  thing.  They  halted,  and  then 
broke  for  the  nearest  clump  of  trees. 

"  Don't  you  mind  them  no  more  jest  yit,"  repeated 
Ben.  "  Toiler  me." 

The  Kentuckian  suddenly  wheeled  his  horse,  and 
dashed  off  at  the  top  of  Giant's  speed  up  the  trail.  It 
looked  very  much  like  running  away  from  a  beaten 
foe,  though  no  one  can  know  when  an  Apache  horde 
is  beaten  while  there  is  life  left  in  them,  or  in  what 
manner  or  direction  they  will  next  demonstrate.  But 
as  the  case  stood  at  the  present  time  no  one  thought 
of  questioning  the  conduct  of  the  Kentuckian.  We 
regarded  him  as  a  marvellous  man. 

We  followed  Ben  up  the  trail  in  the  direction  the 
five  horses  had  taken.  We  ran  our  horses  as  though 
we  meant  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  foe,  but  I  did 
not  think  this  was  what  Ben  was  driving  at.  The 
mounted  Apaches  seemed  to  be  as  much  astonished 
at  these  tactics  as  we  were.  They  came  to  a  halt  and 
then,  apparently  after  a  hurried  conversation,  dashed 
up  the  trail  after  us.  Their  action  excited  no  com 
ment  on  the  part  of  Ben  Cavendish.  Everything 
seemed  to  pass  as  a  matter  of  course  with  him. 

The  horses  ridden  by  the  Indians,  I  noticed,  had 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  229 

not  taken  kindly  to  their  specialty  in  horsemanship. 
They  did  not  seem  to  comprehend  their  style  of 
riding  on  the  flank  instead  of  on  the  back.  This  was 
an  additional  evidence  that  they  had  been  recently 
stolen,  and  had  not  been  trained  to  this  sort  of  tiling. 
They  were  not  accustomed  to  the  yell  of  the  Indians, 
but  the  terror  of  the  animals,  and  their  conduct  when 
their  riders  hung  on  one  side,  were  all  to  our 
advantage. 

"  Where  are  we  going  now,  judge  ?  "  asked  Hal,  im 
patiently,  when  he  canie  up  with  me  in  our  flight  up 
the  river. 

"  I  don't  know,  my  boy.  Ben  Cavendish  knows 
what  he  is  about,  and  he  has  his  own  way  for  con 
ducting  our  operations." 

"  But  we  are  running  away  from  a  handful  of 
Apaches  when  we  could  easily  have  shot  the  whole  of 
them,"  added  Hal,  no  more  able  to  comprehend  the 
Kentuckian's  tactics  than  I  was,  and  less  willing  to 
submit  to  them  without  a  murmer. 

"  Obey  your  orders,  Hal,  and  ask  no  questions. 
No  criticisms  of  any  kind  until  we  have  finished  the 
affair." 

Hal  said  no  more,  but  I  doubt  if  he  was  any  better 
satisfied  than  before  with  what  we  were  doing  just 
then.  I  could  not  catch  Ben,  if  I  tried,  though  when 
he  found  he  was  running  away  from  us,  as  well  as 
the  Apaches,  he  reined  in  Giant,  and  permitted  the 
rest  of  us  to  come  within  a  reasonable  distance  of  him. 

We  were  approaching  the  little  grove  behind  which 


230  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

the  attack  on  the  travellers  had  taken  place.  Ben 
slackened  his  speed  until  we  came  within  twenty  feet 
of  him.  A  bend  in  the  river,  and  consequently  in 
the  trail  we  were  following,  brought  us  to  a  point 
where  the  enemy  could  not  see  us.  Ben  suddenly 
wheeled  his  steed  when  we  reached  the  upper  side  of 
the  little  grove,  and  dashed  in  behind  it.  Here  he 
came  to  a  halt.  We  followed  his  example,  and 
gathered  around  him. 

"  Now,  shet  up,  every  one  of  you  !  "  said  Ben,  and 
there  was  something  like  a  smile  on  his  bronzed  face, 
the  first  appearance  of  the  kind  I  had  seen  while  he 
was  sober.  "  Don't  open  your  mouth  wide  enough 
for  a  mosquito  to  crawl  in,  but  keep  your  ears  open. 
We've  got  three  minutes  and  a  half  to  spare.  Be 
load'n  up." 

Ben  proceeded  to  load  his  long  rifle,  and  we  re 
newed  the  charges  in  our  weapons,  including  the 
Sharpe's  rifles.  Not  one  of  us  spoke  a  word  after  the 
warning  we  had  received,  and  we  wondered  what  was 
to  come  next. 

"  Now  fix  yourselves  like  a  par  o'  stairs  in  a  house, 
for  I  reckon  some  on  you  hes  lived  in  housen.  Keep 
up  close  to  the  trees  as  you  kin,  and  see  the  trail  out 
side  of  the  man  next  to  you.  Hyer  I  am  first,  jedge 
next.  Sonny,  take  the  next  place,  and  then  Linn. 
Then  four  Greasers,  fix  your  carcasses  in  the  same 
way." 

Ben  talked  fast  for  him,  but  by  the  time  he  had 
indicated  what  he  meant,  we  were  in  the  positions 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  231 

pointed  out  to  us,  or  in  echelon,  on  the  verge  of  the 
grove,  the  line  of  which  was  about  an  inclination  of 
forty-five  degrees  with  the  course  of  the  great 
trail  by  the  river. 

"  There  ain't  but  seven  of  them  critters  left  on  hoss- 
back.  They  are  comin  up  Injen  fashion.  The  fust  one 
is  mine,  the  second  is  the  jedge's  man,  and  Sonny 
shall  pop  at  the  third.  The  fou'th  is  your'n,  Linn 
Hoover,"  continued  Ben.  "  Now  fix  yourselves  so  that 
you  won't  blow  off  the  head  of  the  next  man  befo'  you." 
We  understood  him  perfectly  now,  and  we  revised 
our  positions,  so  that  we  could  see  the  trail,  and 
shoot  clear  of  the  man  next  to  us.  Ben  said  no 
more,  and  we  obeyed  our  orders  literally  and  in  fact, 
for  we  did  not  open  our  mouths.  The  horses  panted, 
and  the  sweat  rolled  off  their  sides ;  but  they  were 
content  to  stand  quietly. 

Presently  we  heard  the  clatter  of  horses'  feet  on 
the  other  side  of  the  wood.  We  could  discern  the 
guttural  speech  of  the  Indians,  as  they  encouraged 
each  other  and  urged  forward  their  foaming  steeds. 
In  what  was  coming,  each  of  us  was  to  be  responsi 
ble  for  his  shot.  We  all  had  our  guns  ready,  for 
we  were  to  shoot  the  game  on  the  wing,  as  it  were. 

We  heard  the  enemy  as  they  rushed  on  to  destruc 
tion.  Without  any  other  demonstration,  up  went 
Ben's  long  rifle,  and  he  fired.  As  usual,  he  seemed 
to  give  no  care  to  his  aim ;  but  the  foremost  Indian 
slid  off  his  horse  and  rolled  on  the  ground.  It  was 
my  turn  next,  and  I  fired  at  about  the  same  instant 


232  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

Ben  did.  My  man  slid  part  way  off  his  steed.  He 
was  not  killed,  but  he  was  wounded.  Hal  lired  and 
missed  his  mark.  Linn  Hoover  unhorsed  his  man. 
Mine  clung  to  his  animal  but  a  moment  longer,  and 
then  slid  off.  The  four  riders  in  the  rear  did  not 
come  into  the  view  of  the  Greasers,  but  wheeled 
their  horses  and  retreated  the  way  they  come. 

The  three  horses  which  had  lost  their  riders  con 
tinued  on  their  course,  improving  their  speed  as  their 
burden  was  cast  off.  Thus  it  happened  that  eight  of 
the  twelve  horses  that  had  come  out  of  the  bushes  a 
short  time  before  were  going  on  their  own  hook  up 
the  trail. 

The  instant  the  Indians  in  the  rear  wheeled  their 
horses,  Ben  turned  Giant  in  the  same  direction,  and 
set  out  in  pursuit.  We  followed  him  without  stop 
ping  to  ascertain  the  condition  of  the  Apaches  who 
had  fallen.  We  could  not  keep  up  with  the  Ken- 
tuckian,  but  we  had  the  opportunity  of  watching  his 
movements.  As  he  rode  he  brought  his  short  re 
peating  rifle  to  his  shoulder  and  fired.  Another  In 
dian  dropped  from  his  horse  ;  but  Ben  did  not  relax 
his  speed. 

The  riderless  horse  dashed  on,  and  we  rode  over 
the  fallen  savage.  He  did  not  move,  and  I  con 
cluded  that  the  Kentucky  rifleman  put  the  ball 
through  his  head.  When  we  came  to  a  kind  of  mo 
rass  the  rest  of  the  Apaches  reined  in  a  little, 
dropped  from  their  steeds  and  disappeared  in  the 
swamp. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

FLIGHT  RATHER  THAN  DEATH.  —  THE  END  OF  THE  HUNT.  — 
BEN  RECONNOITRES  THE  TRAIL.  —  BEN  GIVES  MORE 
STRANGE  ORDERS. —TAKING  THE  BACK  TRACK. —THE 

KENTUCKIAN'S    EXPLANATION.  —  SOME    REMARKS    ABOUT 

BOYS.  —  LOOKING  OUT  FOR  THE  SCOUTS.  —  INDIAN-CRAFT 
AND  WOOD-CRAFT. — THE  MOVING  OF  THE  BUSHES.— 
CALLING  OUT  THE  APACHES.  —  BEN  SUDDENLY  ENDS  THE 
EXPLANATION  FOR  THE  TIME.  —  FURIOUS  SPEED.— THE 
HAT  IN  THE  AIR. — A  JUBILANT  SALUTATION. — WHAT 
WE  FOUND  IN  THE  GROVE. 

THE  three  living  Apaches  of  the  dozen  who  had 
made  the  onslaught  on  horseback  were  wiser 
than  the  majority  of  their  people.  Ben  Cavendish 
would  certainly  have  brought  them  all  down  before 
they  could  reach  the  point  where  they  first  appeared, 
for  he  had  six  more  cartridges  in  his  short  rifle. 
They  had  abandoned  their  steeds  to  save  their  own 
lives. 

The  Apaches  had  ridden  their  horses  as  near  the 
morass  as  it  was  possible  to  make  them  go ;  and  it 
would  have  been  folly  to  attempt  to  follow  them,  for 
the  ground  was  not  practicable  for  animals.  The 
abandoned  horses  wheeled  about  and  dashed  off  in 
the  direction  taken  by  the  others.  If  they  were 

233 


234  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

stolen  horses,  as  I  had  no  doubt  they  were,  they  had 
come  from  this  way,  and  it  was  natural  for  them  to 
go  in  a  trail  in  which  they  had  passed  before. 

"That  hunt's  up,"  said  Ben.  "We  hain't  got 
nothing  more  to  do  jest  here.  I  reckon  them  foot 
critters  won't  huff  it  up  this  way.  But  'twon't  do  no 
harm  to  see  jest  what  they're  a  doin'  on." 

With  this  remark,  Ben  rode  slowly  down  the  trail 
until  we  came  to  the  point  where  we  could  see  as  far 
as  we  had  been  that  day.  No  Indians  could  be  seen, 
and  I  supposed  Ben  would  follow  the  main  trail  down 
to  a  point  where  we  could  see  if  Don  Ramon  and  his 
party  were  in  sight. 

Instead  of  doing  this,  he  ordered  us  and  led  the  way 
in  the  direction  of  Castle  Hill.  I  was  not  particularly 
pleased  with  the  idea  of  going  down  the  trail  after 
dark,  for  that  would  give  the  Apaches  an  advantage 
over  us.  I  spoke  to  the  Kentuckian  in  regard  to  the 
matter. 

"  If  you  look  out  for  Don  Ramon,  how  kin  we  look 
out  for  our  scouts,  jedge?  We  are  bound  to  stand 
by  our  scouts  fust  and  every  time." 

"  All  right,  Ben ;  I  didn't  know  what  you  were 
driving  at." 

"  If  them  scouts  has  anything  to  say,  or  if  they  git 
into  any  scrape,  we  ought  to  be  within  supportin' 
distance  of  'em.  I  reckon  we  kerried  out  our  part 
of  the  play ;  and  if  that  gal  is  any  whar  about  hyer 
we'll  heve  her,  or  thar  ain't  no  snakes  in  Virginy." 

"You  took  the  scouts  one   side   when   you   told 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 


235 


them  what  to  do,  and  we  didn't  hear  what  you  said 
to  them." 

"And  that  accounts  for't,  jedge.  I  sent  them  fel 
lers  that  way  to  keep  a  lookout  for  the  gal.  I  don't 
know  as  it's  Sonny's  gal ;  but  it  don't  make  no  differ 
ence.  If  them  Injens  got  a  white  woman  and  ker- 
ried  her  off,  it  don't  make  no  odds  to  me  whose  dar 
ter  or  whose  mother  she  is ;  ef  I  kin  git  her  out  of 
the  hands  of  them  critters  I'm  gwine  to  do  it,  or  bust 
sunthin',"  said  Ben,  decidedly. 

"  But  I  should  like  to  know  whether  Don  Eamon 
is  really  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  I  suppose 
we  can't  travel  down  the  trail  in  the  night." 

"Why  not,  jedge?"  asked  Ben,  looking  me  in  the 
face  as  though  he  was  rather  puzzled  by  my  remark. 
"  Because  it  is  harder  to  fight  the  Apaches  in  the 
night  than  in  the  daylight." 

"  That  depends  on  sarcumstances,  jedge.  They 
allus  work  in  the  night  when  they're  gwine  to  clean 
out  a  camp ;  but  out  on  the  trail  hyer  we  are  jest  as 
good  as  they  be.  They  kin't  see  no  better  than  we 
kin  in  the  night ;  and  two  blind  men  ain't  no  better 
off  in  the  daytime  than  they  be  in  the  night." 

"  Did  you  know  that  party  of  Apaches  were  com 
ing  out  after  us,  Ben  ?  " 
"  I  expected  'em,  jedge." 

"  You  acted  just  as  though  they  had  sent  you  word 
that  they  were  going  to  attack  us,  and  as  though  they 
had  given  you  the  exact  time  when,  and  the  place 
where,  they  intended  to  do  it." 


236  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"I  reckon  they  didn't  do  nothin  o'  the  sort,  jedge," 
replied  Ben,  shaking  his  head,  as  he  evidently  put  a 
literal  construction  on  what  I  said. 

'  You  halted  the  party,  and  arranged  everything 
to  suit  yourself.  When  you  had  things  fixed  to  suit 
you,  the  Apaches  came  out,  and  you  shot  down  the 
first  one  that  showed  his  head." 

f  Thar  ain't  no  witchery  about  it,  jedge." 

"I  thought  there  was." 

"  Not  a  mite.  When  I  sent  them  scouts  down  by 
the  bluff,  I  reckoned  them  Indians  was  somewhar  in 
that  way.  I  reckoned  they  mought  have  a  camp  in 
that  quarter.  I  did  some  thinkin'  over  this  business. 
I  don't  want  to  tire  you  out  tellin'  what  I  was  thinkin 
on,  for  folks  don't  gen'ally'  allus  care  what  a  back 
woodsman  like  me  lies  got  in  his  head." 

"  I  should  be  very  glad  to  know  what  you  were 
thinking  about,  Ben.  I  am  sure  it  would  be  useful 
to  me ;  and  I  hope  Hal  will  hear  it." 

"I  should  like  to  know  all  about  it,"  added  Hal, 
who  was  riding  on  the  other  side  of  the  Kentuckian. 
"  I  feel  as  though  I  was  learning  something  every 
hour  in  the  day ;  and  I  always  like  to  hear  Ben 
explain  things." 

"  That's  the  way  to  learn,  Sonny.  The  trouble 
with  boys  is  that  they  are  older  when  they're  about 
sixteen  or  eighteen  than  they  ever  git  to  be  arter 
that.  It  takes  'em  about  twenty  years  to  find  out 
that  they  don't  know  nothin'." 

"I  have  had  that  disease,  Ben,  and  I  am  trying  to 
get  cured  of  it,"  said  Hal,  laughing. 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  237 

In  fact  I  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Hal  was 
trying  to  mend  his  ways,  for  he  was  certainly  more 
modest,  less  arrogant  with  the  men,  and  more  willing 
to  listen  to  the  counsels  of  others. 

"  The?  fust  thing  towards  gittin'  well  is  to  find  out 
that  sunthin'  ails  you.  You  have  got  on  fust  rate  to 
git  so  fur  at  your  age,"  said  Ben,  in  a  tone  that 
seemed  to  be  equivalent  to  patting  the  boy  on  the 
head. 

"  You  knew  those  Apaches  were  coming,  Ben." 

The  Kentuckian  sometimes  forgot  the  story  he  was 
going  to  tell  and  branched  off  into  another  subject; 
and  if  I  had  not  called  him  back  to  his  topic  we  wore 
as  likely  to  get  a  dissertation  on  the  education  of 
boys  as  to  receive  an  explanation  of  his  movements 
since  we  left  the  Castle  Hill  camp. 

"  I  don't  say  I  know'd  they  was  coming ;  I  ex 
pected  'em,  and  they  did  come.  That's  the  hull  on't." 

"  But  why  did  you  expect  them  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you,  jedge.  I  was  dead  sartain,  jedge, 
that  Don  Ramon,  or  whosomdever  that  party  might 
be  that  you  seen  attacked,  didn't  come  up  this 
way  arter  it  was  all  over.  If  they  didn't  come 
this  way  they  went  t'other  way.  But  they  was 
bound  to  the  eastward.  If  they  got  whipped 
to-day,  they  will  try  it  again  to-morrow,  and  them 
Injens  will  stay  this  side  on  'em  to  cut  'em  off  when 
they  do  it." 

"That  is  all  clear  enough.  If  Don  Ramon  is  really 
at  the  head  of  the  party  he  means  to  join  me  ;  and  I 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

don't  believe  that  he  was  whipped  so  that  he  is  dis 
abled  for  more  than  a  day  or  two." 

"  I  reckoned  them  Injens  was  somewhar  'twixt  our 
camp  and  the  spot  whar  they  was  hit,"  continued 
Ben.  "  My  idee  was  to  fotch  'em  out  to  the  trail,  as 
fur  as  I  could  from  their  skulking-place.  In  this 
diggins  you  kin  bet  the  critters  will  come  out  as  soon 
as  they  see  a  chance  to  steal  a  hoss.  They  see  our 
dozen  hosses,  and  they  wanted  'em." 

"  While  we  rid  along  the  trail,  I  kept  looking  out 
for  things,  and  I  see  sunthin'  afore  we  got  within  half 
a  mile  of  the  place  where  we  halted." 

:r  What  did  you  see,  Ben?"  asked  Hal,  intensely 
interested  in  the  explanation. 

"I  only  see  the  tops  of  the  bushes  movin',  'way 
over  almost  tew  the  bluff.  That  didn't  mean  nothin', 
for  the  wind  might  done  it.  But  I  kept  a  lookin', 
and  lookin' ;  and  kep'  seein'  sunthin'  more.  But  I 
wan't  dead  sure  on  'em  till  I  seen  a  head,  and  then  I 
came  to  a  halt.  I  was  afeerd  they  wouldn't  come 
out,  arter  all ;  but  they  did,  with  the  coaxin'  we  gin 
'em.  That's  the  hull  on't." 

"  Then  it  is  only  by  keeping  your  eyes  open  that 
you  find  out  what  is  going  on  ?  " 

"  That's  the  only  way.  I  ain't  a  witch,  nor  nothin' 
o'  that  sort.  I  don't  know  nothin'  unless  I  see 
sunthin'." 

"  But  what  were  Ned  and  Jake  to " 

Before  I  could  finish  the  sentence,  Ben  gave  the 
reins  to  Giant,  stirring  him  up  with  the  heels  of  his 


THE   YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS.  239 

boots,  for  none  of  our  men  wore  spurs  for  the  reason 
that  I  would  not  have  a  horse  mean  enough  to  need 
spurs,  and  I  would  not  have  allowed  such  a  cruel 
usao-e  if  I  had.  The  Kentuckian's  steed  bounded  off 

O 

like  the  wind,  and  we  followed  him  with  what  speed 
we  could  command. 

We  had  been  riding  leisurely  up  the  trail  during 
Ben's  explanations,  and  by  this  time  we  had  reached 
the  place  where  the  attack  had  been  made  on  the 
travellers  in  the  forenoon.  I  could  see  the  projecting 
bluff  from  which  I  had  witnessed  it.  A  bend  in  the 
river  would  soon  bring  us  in  sight  of  Castle  Hill. 

I  looked  ahead,  but  I  could  not  see  anything  to 
call  for  such  haste  as  our  leader  had  made  ;  in  fact  I 
could  see  nothing  to  attract  attention.  When  Ben 
reached  the  bend  of  the  river,  he  shot  off  the  trail, 
and  rode  towards  the  bluff. 

I  could  not  get  near  enough  to  him  to  ask  a  ques 
tion,  and  the  chances  were,  if  I  had,  that  he  would 
not  have  answered  it.  But  we  followed  him  at  the 
top  of  our  speed,  and  Wildcat  kept  me  ahead  of  the 
rest.  I  looked  with  all  my  eyes ;  and  presently  I 
was  rewarded  by  the  sight  of  a  hat,  hoisted  up  into 
the  air  on  the  muzzle  of  a  rifle.  The  hat  looked  like 
Ned's. 

The  Kentuckian  had  seen  the  tops  of  the  bushes 
bending  in  an  unnatural  manner,  different  from  their 
movements  under  the  influence  of  the  wind.  My 
Indian-craft,  or  wood-craft,  had  not  included  an 
education  into  things  so  fine  as  this.  But  after 


240  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

this,  I  intended  to  make  a  study  of  this  peculiar 
science. 

A  few  minutes  after  I  saw  the  hat,  I  discovered 
Ned  running  towards  our  party.  He  held  his  hat  on 
the  end  of  his  gun,  which  was  a  signal  among  us  that 
the  owner  of  the  hat  belonged  to  the  party,  and  we 
need  not  take  the  trouble  to  fire  upon  the  bearer  of 
it.  Ned  was  alone.  I  wondered  what  had  become 
of  the  honest  German  who  was  scouting  with  him. 

"  Hurrah  !  hurrah  !  hurrah  !  "  shouted  Ned,  as 
soon  as  I  was  near  enough  to  hear  him. 

This  jubilant  salutation  did  not  indicate  that  any 
disaster  had  happened  to  the  scouts,  though  it  did 
not  explain  the  non-appearance  of  Jacob.  I  could  not 
exactly  commend  Ned's  prudence  in  leaving  his  com 
panion  alone  while  he  was  in  a  region  swarming  with 
Apaches.  But  as  soon  as  Ned  had  done  his  shouting 
he  turned  and  ran  back  as  fast  as  he  had  approached. 

Ben  reined  in  his  horse  when  it  was  apparent  to 
him  that  there  was  no  need  of  such  terrific  haste  as  he 
was  making,  and  I  caught  up  with  him.  We  rode  on 
a  little  farther,  following  the  direction  taken  by  Ned. 
When  we  came  to  a  little  grove,  we  found  Juanita 
reclining  on  the  ground,  and  Jacob  standing  by  her 
as  stiff  as  a  soldier  of  the  line. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

JU  ANITA.  —  BEN  INDULGES  IN  AN  EXPLANATION.  —  I  DO  THE 
SAME.  —  CONSIDERATION  FOR  HAL.  —  A  MEED  OF  JUST 
PRAISE.  —  A  TALK  WITH  THE  MAIDEN.  —  NED'S  YARN 
DEFERRED  TO  A  MORE  CONVENIENT  SEASON.  —  THE  RE 
TURN  TO  THE  CAMP  AS  AN  ESCORT.  —  SILE  CARTER  ON 
HAND.  —  AN  APARTMENT  FOR  THE  LADY.  —  SOMETHING 
ABOUT  THE  BRIDGE.  —  THE  DEPARTURE  ON  THE  NIGHT 
EXPEDITION.  —  ON  THE  FLAT. 


the  gal,  sure  enough  !  "    exclaimed  Ben, 

-  and  it  would  have  taken  a  thousand  years  for  the 
Kentuckian  to  exhaust  a  printer's  stock  of  exclama 
tion  points. 

"  Juanita  !  "  I  added,  almost  in  the  same  breath. 

"  Creation  !  She's  as  handsome  as  a  picter  !  "  con 
tinued  Ben  ;  and  I  don't  think  I  ever  saw  his  face 
light  up  so  much  before. 

I  leaped  from  my  horse,  and  sprang  to  the  side  of 
the  maiden.  She  did  not  look  as  though  she  had 
suffered  at  all  from  her  captivity  in  the  hands  of  the 
Apaches  ;  but  doubtless  she  was  reserved  to  gladden 
the  eyes  of  some  mighty  chief.  She  was  neatly 
dressed,  but  she  looked  pale  and  nervous,  as  well  she 
might  after  such  an  experience. 

241 


242  THE   YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Juanita." 

I  took  her  by  the  hand,  and  she  smiled  as  sweetly 
as  though  there  was  not  an  Apache  within  a  hundred 
miles  of  her.  I  had  got  so  far  when  Hal  rushed  from 
his  horse  to  the  spot.  When  he  heard  her  name  he 
did  not  wait  to  ask  any  questions.  Hal  was  not  as 
demonstrative  as  an  old  bachelor  like  me  would  have 
expected  ;  but  probably  he  was  somewhat  restrained 
in  his  gushing  by  the  presence  of  the  rest  of  the 
party,  and  dreaded  the  raillery  of  the  camp  in  the 
future. 

As  their  relations  were  known  to  her  father,  and 
appeared  to  be  recognized  by  him,  I  retired  from  the 
scene,  and  the  rest  of  the  party  had  the  grace  to  fol 
low  me  without  an  order  to  do  so.  I  left  Hal  holding 
the  hand  of  the  beautiful  maiden,  and  I  wished  I  was 
as  young  as  he  was.  I  am  confident  that,  so  far  as  I 
was  concerned,  if  I  had  seen  Juanita  years  before,  I 
should  not  have  been  a  bachelor,  and  should  not  have 
been  wandering  over  the  wilds  of  the  great  West. 

"I  reckon  you've  done  a  big  thing,"  said  Ben, 
mildly,  as  we  walked  out  of  the  grove.  This  to  Ned. 
"And  you've  helped  him  do  it,  Jake,  or  he  has 
helped  you  do  it,  I  don't  know  which." 

"  I  don't  do  nodings  but  vot  Ned  tells  me  to  do," 
replied  Jacob,  modestly. 

"  Then  Sonny  bossed  the  job  ?  "  added  Ben. 

"  Sonny  is  der  boss ;  und  he  have  a  head  big 
enough  as  General  Fremont's  head,  which  was  so  big 
as  keg  of  beer." 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  243 

"  Why  don't  you  tell  us  about  it,  Ned?" 

"  It's  rather  a  long  story,  and  I  thought  you  would 
like  it  better  in  the  camp,"  replied  Ned.  t(  We  did 
just  what  Ben  Cavendish  told  us  to  do.  We  followed 
his  directions  to  the  letter,  and  everything  worked 
just  as  he  said  it  would." 

"  I  reckon  it  don't  allus  happen  so,  Sonny,"  added 
Ben. 

It  had  happened  so  every  time  so  far  as  our  expe 
rience  extended. 

"  But  I  reckon  we  can't  stop  to  hear  the  yarn  now," 
continued  the  Kentuckian.  "  We've  got  the  gal,  and 
that's  the  best  part  of  the  yarn ;  and  we  know  it 
without  any  tellin'.  See  hyer,  jedge,  findin'  the  gal 
proves  that  Hal  was  right.  He  hit  the  nail  on  the 
head  that  time,  ef  he  don't  allus  do  it.  I  reckon  her 
father  is  somewhar  on  the  river ;  and  I  rayther  reck 
on  we  ought  to  go  and  look  him  up  afore  we  hear  any 
yarns.  Sonny's  story  will  keep  ;  and  we  kin  all  hear 
it  when  we  hain't  got  nothin'  else  to  do,  ef  we  ain't 
killed  by  them  Apache  critters ;  and  then  I  reckon 
we  shan't  want  to  hear  it." 

"You  are  right  every  time,  Ben;  and  we  will 
inquire  into  Don  Ramon's  affairs." 

"  Judge,"  called  Hal,  running  towards  us  from  the 
grove,  as  I  finished  the  remark,  "  Juanita  is  very 
anxious  about  her  father." 

"  I  should  think  she  might  be." 

I  followed  him  back  into  the  grove  attended  by 
Ned  and  the  Kentuckian.  I  judged  that  Juanita 


244  THE   YOUNG    SILVEK   SEEKERS. 

was  in  no  condition  for  "  billing  and  cooing."  She 
was  a  daughter  before  she  was  a  maiden  in  love  ;  and 
I  did  not  think  she  was  old  enough  to  "  have  it  very 
bad,"  though  she  was  evidently  as  much  fascinated 
with  Hal  as  he  was  with  her.  He  was  a  very  good- 
looking  young  fellow,  and  this  was  about  the  only 
point  in  which  he  was  ahead  of  Ned. 

"  Where  is  my  father,  Senor  Judge  ?  "  asked  Juan- 
ita,  as  I  came  into  her  presence.  She  looked  fear 
fully  anxious,  though  the  excitement  of  the  occasion 
had  brought  some  color  to  her  cheeks. 

She  spoke  good  English,  and  she  had  greatly  im 
proved  her  pronunciation  and  the  extent  of  her 
vocabulary  since  I  had  seen  her  last.  She  mixed  in  a 
few  Spanish  words,  though  my  partial  knowledge  of 
that  language  enabled  me  to  understand  her  without 
any  repetitions. 

"  I  don't  know  where  he  is,  Juanita ;  but  as  soon 
as  possible  we  shall  go  down  the  trail,  and  ascertain 
what  has  become  of  him." 

"You  don't  tell  me  that  he  was  killed  by  the 
Indians  !  "  she  added,  with  a  look  of  anguish. 

"  I  don't  tell  you  so  ;  and  with  all  my  soul  I  hope 
not.  Now,  if  you  will  tell  us  what  you  know  about 
the  attack  upon  your  party,  we  will  do  all  we  can 
for  your  father." 

"JVo  conozco  mucho — I  don't  know  much  about 
the  attack,"  she  replied,  with  a  tendency  to  talk  in 
her  native  tongue.  She  seemed  to  fear  that  her  want 
of  knowledge  might  injure  the  chances  of  her  father 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKEKS.  245 

being  found.  "  I  was  caught  by  a  big  Indian,  and 
carried  off.  The  Indians  were  fighting  our  men.  I 
am  very  sorry ;  but  that  is  all  I  know  about  it." 

"  Never  mind,  Juanita.  We  will  do  the  best  we 
can  to  find  your  father.  How  many  men  had  Don 
Ramon  with  him  ?  " 

"  How  many  men  ?  He  had  ten  besides  himself. 
He  had  — diez  y  seis;  what  do  you  call  that?  " 

"  Sixteen  ;  all  right,  Juanita,  I  understand  you." 

"Sixteen  horses,  and  one  great  wagon,"  she  added. 

"Were  any  of  the  men  killed?" 

"I  don't  know,  Senor  Judge.  I  was  taken  in  the 
beginning,  and  I  did  not  see  anything,"  replied  Juan 
ita.  "  You  will  do  something  to  save  my  father? " 

The  poor  girl  was  as  ignorant  of  what  had  trans 
pired  as  I  was  ;  and  very  likely  I  had  seen  more  of 
the  affair  than  she  had.  I  then  told  her  that  she  had 
better  go  to  our  camp,  and  that  I  would  start  a  party 
immediately  to  ascertain  what  had  become  of  her 
father.  She  wanted  to  go  with  us,  but  I  reasoned  her 
out  of  this  idea.  We  were  now  not  far  from  the 
camp ;  but  if  I  sent  her  with  Hal  alone,  as  I  at  first 
thought  of  doing,  the  Apaches  might  be  in  that 
region,  and  capture  the  young  couple. 

I  decided  that  the  whole  of  our  men  should  escort 
them  to  the  camp.  We  soon  reached  the  ford.  We 
could  not  permit  the  maiden  to  walk,  and  Hal  pro 
posed  to  take  her  on  his  horse  with  him ;  but  I  did 
not  think  he  was  strong  enough  to  hold  her,  and  I  had 
pot  entire  confidence  in  him  in  the  event  of  a  sudden 


246  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

attack.  The  discussion  ended  in  my  taking  her  on 
my  own  horse,  which,  next  to  Giant,  was  the  most 
powerful  in  our  collection. 

Sile  Carter  was  on  the  alert  at  our  arrival.  He 
took  all  proper  precautions  before  allowing  us  to 
approach  the  hill  on  which  the  camp  was  located,  for 
it  was  beginning  to  be  too  dark  to  see  clearly. 
When  I  rode  in  with  Juanita  in  my  arms,  he  called 
for  three  cheers  from  his  men.  He  had  met  the  young 
lady,  and  he  gave  her  a  very  pleasant  welcome. 

"  We  have  not  come  to  stay,  Sile,  though  we  shall 
leave  the  lady  in  your  charge.  You  must  make  a 
room  for  her  in  one  of  the  wagons  and  keep  a  special 
guard  over  her." 

"  I  cal'late  there  is  plenty  of  room  in  the  ark,  but 
it  smells  pooty  strong  of  bacon,"  replied  Sile.  "  But 
mebbe  she  won't  keer  for  that." 

"  I  think  she  can  stand  it  for  one  night ;  and  if  she 
is  to  remain  with  us,  we  will  make  a  better  place  for 
her.  How  do  you  get  along  with  the  bridge  tim 
ber?" 

"  Fust  rate.  I've  found  the  place  to  build  the 
bridge,  and  the  stuff  to  build  it  with.  I  cal'late  we 
can  git  over  there  in  a  couple  of  days.  I've  studied 
up  a  plan  to  build  that  bridge,  and  it  can  be  done  in 
short  order." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  Sile.  Don't  forget  that 
Juanita  must  have  a  guard  all  night  if  we  don't 
get  back  before  morning." 

"  Don't  be  skeered,  jedge.     I  shall  sleep  standin' 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  247 

up  to-mght.  If  anybody  gits  her  out  of  this  much 
to-night  he'll  have  to  take  her  straight  up  in  the  air. 
I  cal'late  she's  an  angel,  and  mebbe  she's  got  wings." 
Sile  wanted  to  tell  me  something  more  about  the 
bridge  over  the.  canon  ;  but  I  could  not  stay  to  hear 
him  out.  He  was  an  enthusiast  in  whatever  he  un 
dertook,  and  I  was  confident  that  the  bridge  would  be 
built,  though  perhaps  not  quite  so  soon  as  he  pre 
dicted.  Our  party  took  their  suppers  while  I  was 
making  arrangements  with  Sile  for  the  comfort  and 

o  o 

safety  of  the  Mexican  maiden  ;  and  I  ate  my  lunch  as 
I  attended  to  business. 

I  saw  that  Hal  was  inclined  to  remain  with  Juan- 
ita,  but  I  did  not  think  it  was  just  the  thing  to  humor 
him.  He  only  hinted  that  he  should  like  to  stand 
guard  over  the  caravel,  in  which  the  lady  was  to  be 
accommodated.  I  suggested  to  him  that  he  ought  to 
be  the  first  to  inform  her  father,  in  case  we  found 
him  that  night,  as  I  was  confident  we  should,  of  the 
safety  of  his  daughter.  He  said  no  more  about  stay 
ing  with  the  senorita. 

I  was  confident  that  Don  Ramon  would  not  leave 
the  valley  of  the  Gila  without  his  daughter,  and  I 
had  no  doubt  he  was  encamped  farther  down  the 
trail.  He  seemed  to  have  mistaken  the  locality  of 
the  Indians ;  but  I  was  sure  he  would  do  all  that 
could  be  done  to  recover  the  girl. 

In  spite  of  Ben  Cavendish's  assertions  to  the  con 
trary,  I  felt  a  little  skittish  about  operating  on  the 
flat  in  the  night.  No  moon  would  aid  us  until  very 


248  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

late.  If  we  did  not  fall  into  an  Indian  ambuscade, 
I  could  see  some  difficulty  in  approaching  the 
camp  of  Don  Eamon,  for  we  had  no  means  of  mak 
ing  ourselves  known,  and  were  in  great  danger  of 
being  mistaken  for  a  gang  of  Apache  marauders. 
I  talked  with  Ned  about  this  matter,  and  he  went 
to  the  caravel  and  produced  a  box  of  Roman  candles 
he  had  bought  in  San  Diego,  intending  to  use  them 
on  the  Fourth  of  July. 

One  or  two  of  these  would  light  up  the  trail  so 
that  we  could  be  seen  by  Don  Ramon,  and  they  would 
know  that  Indians  were  not  provided  with  such  play 
things.  I  rode  out  of  the  camp  by  the  side  of  the 
Kentuckian,  who  always  took  the  lead,  except  when 
the  greater  danger  was  in  the  rear. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  is  very  strange  the  Apaches  on 
the  high  ground  have  not  attacked  the  camp,  or  at 
least  shown  themselves  near  it?  " 

"  I  don't  reckon  they  want  to  show  themselves  till 
they  git  ready  to  make  a  hit.  But  they'll  come  soon 
enough,  jedge,"  replied  Ben.  "  You  kin  bet  your 
pile  they've  seen  us  leave  the  camp ;  and  very  likely 
they  will  make  a  slash  at  it  while  we  are  gone." 

When  wre  reached  the  flat,  I  was  rather  surprised 
to  see  about  a  dozen  horses  quietly  feeding  near  the 
trail. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  MASTERLESS  HORSES. — STOLEN  PROPERTY. — DOWN  THE 
TRAIL.  —  THE  FIRE  BY  THE  RIVER.  —  A  CAUTIOUS  AP 
PROACH. —  THE  SENTINEL. — LIGHT  ON  THE  SUBJECT.— 
DOM  RAMON  ABSENT. — THE  TURN-OUT  OF  THE  TRAVEL 
LERS.  —  PETERSON.  —  AN  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE.  —  WHERE 
DON  RAMON  HAD  GONE.  —  THE  APACHE  VILLAGE.  —  HAL 
TELLS  THE  NEWS. — CHEERS  IN  SPANISH. 

Tl^HAT  horses  are  these,  Ben?  " 

I  might  have  known,  but  I  didn't  think. 
Events  had  succeeded  each  other  so  rapidly  that  I 
had  forgotten  in  a  later  sensation  the  occurrences  of 
a  few  hours  before.  It  occurred  to  me  at  first  that 
there  must  be  a  camp  in  the  vicinity  somewhere,  and 
that  the  travellers  had  turned  out  their  horses  to  get 
their  suppers,  though  this  was  a  very  unusual  thing 
to  do  in  the  midst  of  so  many  enemies. 

"  I  reckon  these  be  the  bosses  them  Apaches  was 
pitched  off  from,"  replied  Ben.  "  They  all  legged 
it  up  this  way." 

"I  understand  it  now.  Probably  these  horses,  or 
some  of  them,  are  the  ones  that  were  stampeded 
from  the  camp  of  Major  Galloupe." 

249 


250  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  Jest  as  like  as  not ;  but  they  ought  to  be  tooken 
care  on.  We  hain't  got  no  time  to  do  it ;  and  I  reck 
on  they  will  stay  here  till  we  get  back." 

We  left  them  to  the  rich  feed  they  found  on  the 
flat,  hoping  to  find  them  on  our  return.  We  followed 
the  trail,  passing  the  points  where  eventful  scenes 
had  been  enacted  that  day  without  seeing  any  Indians 
or  any  signs  of  Don  Ramon's  .party.  After  we  got 
by  the  place  where  the  Apaches  had  attempted  to 
surprise  us,  we  kept  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  camp  of 
the  Mexican  nabob.  After  a  ride  of  a  couple  of 
miles  we  discovered  what  appeared  to  be  a  fire  ahead, 
at  the  side  of  the  trail,  and  quite  near  the  river. 

"I  reckon  that  mought  be  Don  Ramon's  camp," 
said  the  Kentuckian. 

"If  it  is  any  camp  at  all,  it  must  be  Don  Ramon's. 
It  can't  be  an  Indian  camp." 

This  was  not  so  much  an  opinion  of  my  own  as  a 
suggestion  to  call  forth  the  opinion  of  my  tall 
companion. 

"Injens  don't  camp  so  near  the  trail.  It  would 
sp'ile  their  business." 

We  proceeded  a  short  distance  farther,  and  then 
we  saw  a  man  in  the  trail.  He  had  a  gun  in  his  hand, 
and  before  we  could  get  near  enough  to  speak  he 
fired.  But  the  gun  appeared  to  be  discharged  in  the 
air ;  at  any  rate,  none  of  our  party  were  hit  by  a 
bullet. 

"  Don't  you  think  we  had  better  light  up  the 
country  a  little,  Ben?" 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  251 

fr  Light  up  the  country  ?  What  on  airth  do  you 
mean  by  that?"  asked  Ben,  who  knew  nothing  about 
the  Roman  candles  in  the  possession  of  the  boys. 

"  We  can  make  it  as  light  as  day  for  a  few 
seconds." 

"How  be  you  gwine  to  do  it?"  inquired  Ben. 
"  We  hain't  got  no  light  wood  here,  nor  nothin'  of 
the  sort  as  I  knows  on." 

"  If  you  wish  to  have  it  done,  you  have  only  to 
say  so,  Ben." 

"  Well,  let  drive.  I  want  to  know  what  you're 
gwine  to  do,"  added  Ben,  whose  curiosity  was 
excited. 

"  Light  one  of  them,  Ned." 

The  man  we  had  seen  in  the  trail  was  retreating 
slowly  before  us.  Possibly  he  was  satisfied  by  this 
time  that  we  were  not  Apaches,  or  we  should  not 
have  taken  things  so  easily  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  a  camp.  Ned  lighted  the  Roman  candle,  and  in  a 
moment  its  glare  illuminated  the  scenery  around  us, 
and  turned  the  night  into  day.  But  the  effect  upon 
the  horses  was  rather  exciting,  for  they  seemed  to  be 
as  ignorant  of  such  fireworks  as  the  Kentuckian. 

"  Creation  !  "  said  Ben,  more  in  a  tone  of  resigna 
tion  than  wonder,  though  he  was  evidently  greatly 
astonished  at  the*  sudden  change  in  the  appearance  of 
things  around  us.  :f  That's  a  bigger  thing  than 
lightwood." 

Giant  was  dancing  like  a  maiden  just  come  out, 
and  the  fizzing  and  popping  caused  all  the  animals  to 


252  THE    YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

spring  as  though  they  wished  the  thing  was  farther 
off.  But  our  horses  were  not  of  the  cow  kind,  and 
we  expected  them  to  show  some  life  when  anything 
unusual  took  place. 

By  the  brilliant  light  I  had  an  opportunity  to 
survey  the  objects  in  the  neighborhood.  The  first 
and  most  welcome  thing  I  saw  was  a  baggage-wagon 
near  the  fire.  It  was  covered  with  white  canvas, 
and  I  knew  that  Don  Eamon  provided  a  sleeping- 
place  for  his  daughter  in  his  wagon. 

"  Who  goes  there  ? "  asked  the  man  in  the  trail, 
who  had  come  to  a  halt  when  the  light  assured  him 
that  we  were  not  Apaches.  He  spoke  in  Spanish. 

"Friends,"  I  replied.  "Is  this  Don  Ramon's 
camp?" 

"  8i,  seftor." 

"  Tell  him  his  Buena  Yista  friends  are  here." 

We  continued  to  advance,  and  soon  came  up  with 
the  man.  The  candle  had  burned  itself  out,  but  it 
had  done  its  work. 

"  Don  Ramon  is  not  at  the  camp  now,"  replied  the 
man. 

"Not  at  the  camp?" 

I  was  greatly  astonished  and  disappointed  at  this 
intelligence. 

"Where  is  he?" 

"  He  has  gone  in  search  of  his  daughter,"  answered 
the  sentinel.  "But  our  people  are  coming  forward." 

Eight  or  ten  men  were  advancing  up  the  trail  and 
presently  they  joined  us  at  the  conference. 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  253 

w  Judge,  I  am  right  down  glad  to  see  you !  " 
shouted  the  foremost  of  the  party,  as  he  rushed 
forward  and  grasped  my  hand.  "  We  have  been 
looking  for  you  for  the  last  ten  days,  and  I  wish  we 
had  found  you  before." 

"  Is  that  you,  Peterson?  "  I  could  not  quite  make 
out  who  it  was  in  the  darkness,  and  I  did  not  care  to 
waste  the  small  stock  of  Roman  candles  in  the  pos 
session  of  the  boys,  for  I  thought  they  might  render 
good  service  on  some  important  occasion,  as  they  had 
on  the  present. 

Peterson  was  an  American  who  had  some  business 
relations  with  Don  Eamon,  and  had  visited  Buena 
Vista  with  my  Mexican  friend.  In  fact,  he  was  Don 
Ramon's  right-hand  man,  and  I  understood  at  once 
that  he  was  in  command  of  the  party  in  the  absence 
of  his  employer. 

"  I  am  Peterson  ;  you  ought  to  know  the  sound  of 
my  voice  by  this  time.  But,  come ;  ride  into  our 
camp,"  added  the  right-hand  man. 

He  walked  by  the  side  of  my  horse,  and  the  rest 
of  his  party,  with  the  exception  of  the  sentinel,  pre 
ceded  us.  They  were  all  armed,  and  evidently 
expected  a  fight  when  they  came  out  of  the  camp, 
called  by  the  signal  of  the  guard. 

"  We  have  been  looking  for  you  ever  since  we  left 
the  Coolrado  river.  We  expected  to  find  you  there, 
for  Don  Ramon  said  he  wrote  that  he  would  join  you 
there,  as  we  were  unable  to  get  through  to  Buena 
Vista  in  season  to  start  with  you.  We  had  some 


254  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

business  in  Hermosillo,  in  Sonora,  and  we  came  that 
way.  We  crossed  the  desert  about  twenty  days 
ago,"  said  Peterson.  "  Don  Ramon  was  greatly  dis 
tressed  when  he  found  you  had  left  Fort  Yuma,  for 
he  expected  to  wait  a  week  for  you  there." 

"  I  have  received  no  letter  at  all  from  him.  If  I 
had  I  should  have  waited  for  him,  if  it  had  been  a 
month,  but  I  concluded  that  he  had  given  up  the 
trip,  for  I  suppose  you  are  having  stormy  times  in 
Mexico,  with  your  new  emperor  and  with  your  two 
parties." 

"Stormy  enough,  judge,  but  not  so  stormy  as  we 
have  had  this  very  day,"  added  Peterson. 

"  As  the  Don  had  ten  men  with  him,  I  did  not 
think  he  would  have  any  trouble  in  getting  through, 
but  you  had  a  sharp  fight  this  forenoon." 

"  Who  told  you  Don  Ramon  had  ten  men,  and  that 
we  had  a  hard  fight  ?  You  could  not  have  been  near, 
or  you  would  have  come  to  help  us." 
.  "  I  saw  the  fight,  or  a  part  of  it  myself.  But  we 
were  in  a  fight  ourselves  at  the  same  time,  and  we 
lost  one  of  our  best  men  —  old  Jerry  Benson,  who 
was  at  Bucna  Vista  when  you  were  there." 

"  Poor  Jerry  !  I  am  sorry  for  him.  But  you 
could  not  have  told  that  Don  Ramon  had  ten  men 
from  seeing  part  of  it." 

"  I  had  that  from  one  that  was  with  you  at  the 
time.  But  the  sentinel  told  me  that  Don  Ramon  is 
not  here  now,  and  I  know  he  is  not,  or  I  should  have 
seen  him  before  this  time." 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  255 

"  He  is  not  here.  If  you  know  about  the  fight  we 
had  with  the  Apaches,  you  know  perhaps  that  his 
daughter,  Juanita,  was  captured  by  the  Indians," 
added  Peterson,  with  so  much  emotion  that  I  won 
dered  if  he  had  not  some  of  Hal's  symptoms.  But  the 
right-hand  man  was  full  forty,  and  for  aught  I  knew 
he  had  a  wife  in  some  other  part  of  the  country. 

r  I  know  all  about  Juanita.  But  where  can  Don 
Ramon  have  gone  ?  " 

"  He  has  gone  to  look  for  his  daughter." 

"  Gone  to  look  for  her  !     Where  has  he  gone  ?  " 

"Over  beyond  the  mountains,  for  in  the  midst  of 
them,  there  is  an  Apache  village,  and  Don  Ramon  is 
confident  that  his  daughter  has  been  conveyed  there," 
added  Peterson. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  he  got  that  idea  into  his  head,  for 
Juanita  was  not  conveyed  to  the  village  of  the 
Apaches." 

"  You  talk  as  though  you  knew  something  about  it, 
judge,"  said  my  puzzled  countryman  from  Mexico. 

"  I  know  all  about  it,  Peterson ;  and  she  has  not 
been  carried  to  any  Apache  village,  though  I  fancy 
that  would  have  been  done  in  a  few  hours  more,  if 
circumstances  permitted  her  captors  to  convey  her  to 
their  home,  if  they  have  any  home." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  judge  ?  What  circumstances 
were  there  that  would  have  prevented  the  Indians 
from  taking  the  prisoner  to  their  villnge  ?  " 

"  The  rather  important  circumstance  that  they  have 
not  the  young  lady  to  take  to  their  village." 


256  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  Unfortunately  they  have  her ;  and  I  think  her 
father  will  find  her  there,"  protested  Peterson. 

"  But  I  know  that  he  will  not  find  her  there.  Hal 
knows  all  about  her,  and  he  can  tell  you  as  much  as 
I  can." 

This  as  we  came  to  a  halt  at  the  camp,  and  I  dis 
mounted  from  my  horse. 

"  Is  Hal  here  ?  I  shall  be  right  glad  to  see  him,"  said 
Peterson.  "  Hal  is  a  great  favorite  with  the  Don, 
and  I  suppose  you  know  that  Juanita  don't  hate  him 
as  badly  as  she  does  Apache  Indians." 

Hal  had  heard  about  all  that  had  been  said,  and  he 
came  forward  to  show  himself.  Peterson  gave  him 
a  cordial  greeting. 

"  What  do  you  know  of  Juanita,  Hal  ?  "  asked  the 
right-hand  man,  as  soon  as  they  had  passed  between 
them  the  conventional  salutations  at  meeting. 

"  We  have  her  safe  and  sound  in  our  camp  at  Castle 
Hill,"  answered  Hal,  telling  the  whole  substance  of 
the  story  without  any  preliminaries,  as  I  wished  him 
to  tell  it. 

"  Juanita !  Is  it  possible  that  she  has  escaped 
from  the  Indians?"  exclaimed  Peterson.  "Where 
is  Castle  Hill?  I  never  heard  of  it  before." 

Hal  told  where  Castle  Hill  was,  and  told  all  he 
knew  about  the  recapture  of  the  Mexican  maiden. 
Peterson  was  delighted  with  the  intelligence,  which 
was  communicated  to  the  rest  of  Don  Eamon's  party, 
whereat  they  demonstrated  with  cheers  the  satisfac 
tion  they  felt. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  257 

"  It  was  Ned  Brown  that  bossed  the  job,"  added 
Hal. 

It  was  handsome  of  Hal  to  say  this  so  soon,  and  I 
had  high  hopes  of  him. 


CHAPTEE  XXXI. 

A  GREAT  DISAPPOINTMENT.  —  THE  INDIAN  GUIDE.  —  BEN  CAV- 
ENDISIl'S  OPINION.  —  A  COINCIDENCE  IN  TIME.  —  THE 
MEXICAN  GENTLEMAN  IN  GKEAT  PERIL.  —  WE  DECIDE 
WHAT  TO  DO.  — THE  TRAIL. — ACROSS  THE  FLAT. — THE 
CANON.  —  A  GLOOMY  CHASM.  —  A  DANGEROUS  AND  DIFFI 
CULT  ASCENT.  —  WOUNDED  AND  WORN-OUT.  —  A  NEEDED 
REST  AND  SLEEP. — A  LONG  TRAMP. — THE  APACHE  VIL 
LAGE. —  THE  INDIANS  AND  THEIR  PRISONER. 

T  WAS  terribly  disappointed  at  the  absence  of  Don 
Ramon,  more  because  I  was  anxious  to  have  him 
comforted  with  the  knowledge  that  his  daughter  was 
safe  and  well  than  for  any  other  reason.  He  was 
gone  just  at  the  time  when  the  news  came  that  would 
have  rejoiced  his  heart  more  than  any  other  event  in 
the  world. 

Hal  told  his  story,  and  Peterson  wanted  Ned  to 
tell  his  story ;  but  I  interposed.  I  told  the  right- 
hand  man  that  we  could  not  wait  till  this  long  yarn 
was  reeled  off,  for  it  might  take  an  hour.  I  added 
that  our  camp  might  be  attacked,  and  nothing  but 
the  peril  of  Don  Ramon  would  have  induced  me  to 
leave  it  for  a  single  hour.  If  we  could  serve  him 
further,  we  would  stay  a  week,  for  I  was  sure  that 
258 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  259 

our  camp  would  be  successfully  defended  by  the  men 
and  the  means  we  had  left  for  that  purpose. 

"How  many  men  went  with  Don  Ramon  to  the 
Apache  village  ?  " 

"  Not  a  single  one,  except  an  Indian  guide  ;  and  I 
have  no  faith  in  him,"  said  Peterson,  shaking  his  head 
with  ominous  doubts. 

"  An  Injen  guide,"  added  Ben  Cavendish.  "  Where 
did  he  find  the  Injen  guide  ?  " 

By  the  light  of  the  fire,  I  could  see  something  like 
a  sneer  on  the  bronze  face  of  the  Kentuckian,  which 
I  interpreted  as  an  expression  of  contempt  at  the  want 
of  skill  and  foresight  on  the  part  of  the  Mexican 
gentleman  in  trusting  himself  to  the  guidance  of  such 
a  person. 

"The  guide  came  along  the  trail  just  about  dark 
to-night,"  replied  Peterson. 

"  Then  it  was  arter  our  fight  with  the  Apaches," 
added  Ben,  putting  an  enormous  quid  of  tobacco  into 
his  cheek. 

"I  heard  firing  up  the  trail  some  time  before  he 
came  here." 

"I  reckon  it  was  one  of  the  critters  we  fit  into 
above  hyer,"  said  the  Kentuckian.  "And  the  don 
went  off  with  the  guide  ?  " 

"Only  about  an  hour  before  you  came,"  added 
Peterson,  whose  fears  seemed  to  be  excited  by  the 
comments  of  Ben  Cavendish. 

rtThen  I  reckon  we'd  better  be  up  and  doin'," 
replied  Ben,  rising  from  the  ground  where  we  were 


260  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

all  seated  in  Indian  fashion.  "Do  you  know  any 
thing  about  this  Indian  village?  Whar  did  they  go?" 
"  The  guide  said  it  was  just  across  the  mountain, 
and  they  could  get  there  before  morning,  and  take 
time  for  three  hours'  sleep  on  the  way." 

"It  looks  bad,  uncommon  bad,"  added  the  Ken- 
tuckian,  apparently  talking  to  himself  rather  than  to 
the  party  around  him. 

"Do  you  think  Don  Ramon  is  in  danger,  Mr. 
Cavendish"?"  asked  Peterson,  anxiously. 

"Do  I  think  he  is  in  danger?  I  don't  reckon  he 
will  have  a  skelp  on  his  head  by  this  time  to-morrer. 
You  can't  trust  no  Apache  no  more'n  you  kin  a 
rattlesnake.  They  bite  when  they  gits  a  chance, 
whether  it's  friend  or  foe,"  said  Ben,  shaking  his  head 
all  the  time,  as  he  was  apt  to  do  when  he  had  a  hard 
case  on  his  mind.  "It  was  queer  that  he  should  go 
with  any  Apache." 

"I  thought  so  myself;  but  Don  Ramon  was  so 
anxious  to  obtain  his  daughter,  or  at  least  to  see  her, 
that  he  was  willing  to  run  any  risk.  But  the  Indian 
guide  spoke  Spanish,  and  talked  very  fairly." 

"Did  he?"  sneered  Ben.  "I  reckon  he  was  a 
comeouter ;  thet  he  had  quarrelled  with  his  chief, 
and  wanted  to  git  revenge  on  him,  or  sunthin  o'  thet 
sort." 

"Have  you  met  this  Indian  guide,  Mr.  Caven 
dish?"  asked  Peterson,  with  no  little  excitement  in 
his  manner. 

"Heve  I  seen  him?  Heven't  I  seen  a  hundred  on 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  261 

'em.  Don't  they  all  tell  the  same  story?"  flouted 
Ben.  "  I'll  bet  four  cents  agin  a  chaw  tobacker  they 
know'd  the  gal  had  got  away  from  'em  afore  he 
came  here.  Where  was  the  camp  you  found  the  gal 
in,  Sonny?"  continued  Ben,  turning  to  Ned  Brown. 
"  It  was  just  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  on  the  bank 
of  the  stream  that  runs  around  Castle  Hill,  not  far 
from  the  place  where  you  fought  the  Apaches,"  re 
plied  Ned.  " I  heard  your  tiring  when  we  took 
Juanita  out  of  the  camp.  A  line  drawn  at  right 
angles  with " 


"  A  line  drawn  to  the  moon,  Sonny  !  Talk  English, 
or  give  us  the  pigeon  talk  of  the  dons,"  interposed 
Ben,  whose  knowledge  of  geometry  was  probably 
very  limited. 

"Abreast  of  the  point  where  we  fought  the 
Indians." 

"That's  what  right  angles  means,  is  it,  jedge? 
Then  the  critters  know'd  the  gal  was  gone ;  and 
more'n  that ;  they  mean  to  git  her  agin.  But  rot  my 
old  timbers  in  the  mud  if  they  shall  have  her  !  " 

"Do  you  know  which  way  the  Indian  guide  con 
ducted  Don  Ramon,  Peterson?" 

"I  do,  judge;  there's  a  trail  leading  over  to  the 
bluff.  We  found  it  this  afternoon  ;  and  they  left  by 
that." 

"This  party  is  goin'  arter  the  don,"  said  Ben. 
"We  may  ketch  him  ef  we  don't  lose  the  trail.  We'll 
leave  our  bosses  hyer  |  but  fotch  along  all  your 
shooters ;  and  boys,  hove  them  firelights  with  you, 


262  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

for  I  reckon  we  may  want  them.  They're  a  bigger 
thing  than  lightwood  ;  but  I  don't  know's  you  can  git 
any  lightwood  this  side  of  old  Kaintuck." 

I  saw  that  Ben  meant  business,  and  I  did  not 
hesitate  to  follow  anywhere  that  he  would  lead.  He 
regarded  the  guide  as  treacherous  and  intending  in 
some  way  to  regain  the  daughter  through  the  capture 
or  influence  of  the  father.  The  Greasers  under 
Peterson  took  our  horses,  and  in  a  few  minutes  more 
we  were  in  the  trail  the  right-hand  man  pointed  out 
to  us.  We  moved  towards  the  bluff,  and  it  was 
probable  that  it  would  take  us  to  some  canon  in  the 
cliff  where  the  high  ground  would  be  reached. 

Nothing  but  the  peril  of  my  friend  could  have 
tempted  me  to  engage  in  such  a  jaunt  after  so  hard  a 
day's  work.  I  was  tired,  and  so  were  the  men.  But 
Ben  had  not  made  so  bad  a  case  as  he  really  believed 
the  situation  of  Don  Ramon  to  be.  He  was  to  be  the 
victim  of  treachery  ;  he  had  been  enticed  away  from 
the  camp  after  the  discovery  that  Juanita  had  escaped. 

As  I  have  said  before,  I  had  been  to  an  Apache 
village  in  this  region,  where  I  met  Cochise  and  Man- 
gus  Colorado,  two  of  the  most  noted,  as  well  as  the 
most  cruel  and  bloodthirsty  ruffians  the  world  ever 
produced.  Whether  the  village  for. which  we  were 
bound  was  the  same  one,  I  had  no  means  of  knowing, 
but  I  judged  that  it  was. 

As  Ben  predicted,  and  I  believed  we  should,  find 
the  trail  ended  at  a  canon  in  the  cliff.  Not  one  of  us 
had  ever  been  through  the  place,  which  would  have 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  263 

presented  difficulties  enough  in  the  daytime ;  and  it 
was  a  thousandfold  worse  in  the  night.  The  water 
gushed  out  of  the  great  chasm  into  the  river  which 
almost  surrounded  Castle  Hill.  All  the  light  we 
could  obtain  was  produced  by  occasionally  lighting  a 
match. 

We  had  no  difficulty  in  fording  the  stream,  for  the 
water  was  not  over  the  top  of  our  boots.  We  found 
a  landing-place  on  the  other  side.  We  entered  the 
mouth  of  the  canon.  Lighting  a  match,  we  found  a 
considerable  brook,  but  there  were  dry  rocks  enough 
to  afford  us  a  footing.  We  found  that  the  bottom  of 
it  was  a  gradual  slope,  but  the  ascent  was  exceedingly 
hazardous. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  perils  and  the 
hardships  we  experienced  in  the  passage  of  the  canon. 
It  was  more  than  equal  to  all  the  day's  work  we  had 
clone  since  we  left  our  grassy  hammocks  in  the  morn 
ing.  Whatever  necessity  there  was  for  haste,  hardly 
one  of  the  party  was  in  condition  to  go  any  farther 
without  a  rest  when  we  reached  the  open  ground 
above.  Some  of  us  had  been  severely  lamed  and 
bruised  by  the  falls  we  had  received  in  the  darkness 
of  the  chasm. 

Thoroughly  exhausted  we  lay  down  on  the  ground, 
with  no  thought  or  fear  of  Indians  or  anything  else. 
I  went  to  sleep,  for  worn-out  nature  could  do  no 
more.  I  suppose  most  of  my  companions  did  the 
same,  though  I  think  Ben  Cavendish  did  not.  At 
any  rate  he  called  us  when  the  moon  rose. 


264  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

We  were  somewhat  refreshed  by  our  rest,  and  we 
continued  to  follow  the  trail,  which  was  very  indis 
tinct  at  times.  But  after  the  moon  was  well  up  we 
had  little  difficulty  in  keeping  in  it.  I  judged  that 
this  path  was  a  constant  thoroughfare  for  the  Apaches. 
The  great  trail  by  the  Gila  was  their  stamping-ground 
for  plunder  and  war  upon  the  whites  when  they  had 
any  grievances  to  be  revenged,  as  they  generally  did. 
They  claimed  all  the  territory  by  right  of  conquest, 
and  the  use  of  it  by  the  whites,  even  to  passing 
through  it,  was  regarded  as  a  trespass. 

We  trudged  along  on  our  weary  way  till  daylight, 
though  we  were  occasionally  obliged  to  stop  and  rest. 
The  trail  led  us  to  the  southward.  We  crossed  some 
high  hills,  which  counted  as  mountains  as  seen  from 
the  plains  below.  As  the  sun  was  rising  we  halted 
for  breakfast.  The  meal  improved  our  strength,  and 
we  continued  on  our  way  till  nearly  noon. 

"How  far  do  you  think  we  have  come,  Ben?" 

I  asked  this  question ;  and  it  was  the  first  speech 
that  had  been  heard  for  hours.  The  Kentuckian 
showed  less  signs  of  fatigue  than  the  rest  of  the  party, 
and  he  still  kept  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  line. 

"  Nigh  on  to  thirty  mile,  I  should  say,"  replied  he. 
"  But  I  reckon  we  haven't  much  further  to  go,  judge. 
I  don't  think  them  boys  can  stand  it  much  longer." 

"They  seem  to  bear  it  better  than  the  vaqueros." 

"Hyer  we  be,"  said  Ben,  as  we  came  out  of  a  little 
piece  of  woods  such  as  we  occasionally  found,  with 
the  trail  leading  directly  through  it. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS, 


265 


I  looked  ahead,  and  saw  that  we  were  approaching 

a  long  line  of  cliffs,  similar  to  that  on  the  other  side. 

"Thar's    your    Apache  village,"   added  the   Ken- 

tuckian.     "  I  reckon  we'd  better  halt  hyer,  and  take 

a  look  at  the  country  ahead  and  all  about  us." 

I  did  not  see  the  village  at  first,  but  a  second  look 
revealed  it  to  me.  It  was  the  one  I  had  visited, 
though  I  had  approached  it  before  from  the  other 
side.°  Down  in  a  valley,  forming  a  flat  like  that  by 
the  Gila,  were  the  lodges  of  the  Indians.  It  was  a 
beautiful  region  ;  in  fact,  a  paradise  upon  earth. 

"  Lay  down  all  of  you  !  "  said  Ben,  in  a  low  voice  ; 
and  we  all  dropped  as  though  we  had  been  shot. 

For  a  minute  I  could  not  comprehend  the  meaning 
of  this  order.  Coming  out  of  another  little  grove 
perhaps  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  us,  was  a  party  of 
three  Apaches.  In  front  of  them  marched  a  man  in 
civilized  costume.  I  concluded  at  once  that  he  was 
a  white  man,  and  that  it  was  Don  Ramon.  How  we 
had  got  ahead  of  the  party  I  could  not  explain^ 

As  they  came  from  a  different  direction  it  was 
evident  that  they  had  not  followed  the  same  trail  we 
had  taken  all  the  way.  I  recalled  a  place  where  we 
had  been  in  doubt  which  of  two  paths  to  take.  We 
had  chosen  one,  and  the  Indians  the  other.  As  they 
came  nearer  we  saw  that  the  white  man  had  his 
hands  bound  behind  him. 


CHAPTER  XXXH. 

SNAKING  IT.  —  APPROACH  OF  THE  PRISONER  AND  HIS  CON 
DUCTORS. —  BEN  MAKES  INTELLIGIBLE  SIGNS. — THE  FIRST 
SHOT. — ONE  APACHE  LESS.  —  A  BAD  SHOT.  —  WHAT  HAL 
DID.  —  DON  RAMON.  —  DAZED  BY  HIS  SUFFERINGS.  —  THE 
AGONY  OF  THE  FOND  FATHER.  —  HAL  DELIVERS  HIS 
NEWS. — AN  INCREDULOUS  PARENT.  — THE  INDIAN  GUIDE 
—  DINNER.  —  ON  THE  MARCH  AGAIN.  —  AN  EXHAUSTED 
COMPANY. 

ONAKE  it  back  into  the  grove  ! "  said  Ben,  in  an 
impressive  whisper. 

This  meant  that  we  were  to  crawl  on  our  stomachs, 
and  we  set  about  it.  The  Kentuckian  told  us  to 
move  at  a  snail's  pace,  and  not  to  disturb  any  bush, 
which  might  attract  the  attention  of  the  sharp-eyed 
Apaches.  When  wre  lay  down  there  was  underbrush 
enough  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  seeing  us. 

By  the  time  we  were  within  the  grove  the  trio  of 
Apaches  were  within  twenty  rods  of  us.  They  were 
evidently  as  weary  as  we  were.  Don  Ramon  dragged 
heavily  along ;  and  he  seemed  to  have  hardly  the 
strength  left  to  put  one  foot  before  the  other.  The 
party  must  have  rested  longer  on  the  way  even  than 
we  did ;  but  they  were  hardly  in  better  condition. 
266 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 


2G7 


Ben  would  not  permit  us  to  rise  upon  our  feet,  or 
lift  our  heads  much  above  the  ground.  I  was  nearest 
to  him,  and  saw  him  turn  over  upon  his  back,  after 
bringing  his  breech-loader  in  front  of  him.  I  did  the 
same,  and  with  the  same  caution  that  he  used.  The 
others  followed  our.  example.  Ben  did  not  speak, 
but  he  looked  at  his  command  individually  in  the 
most  expressive  manner. 

His  looks  and  his  gestures  were  quite  as  significant 
as  words  would  have  been  at  such  a  thrilling  moment. 
He  made  signs  to  me  as  he  drew  his  long  rifle  to  the 
front  of  him.  He  pointed  to  himself  and  then  at  his 
rifle  to  intimate  that  he  intended  to  fire  upon  the 
Apaches.  Then  he  pointed  to  Hal,  andAvent  through 
the  same  pantomime,  with  an  additional  sign  that  he 
was  to  fire  after  my  shot.  But  all  the  party  were 
ready  to  fire. 

I  was  not  clear  how  we  were  to  shoot  at  the  con 
ductors  of  Don  Ramon  while  we  lay  on  the  ground ; 
but  Ben  soon  set  all  doubts  at  rest  as  to  the  manner 
of  doing  it.  Raising  his  head  and  shoulders,  he  brought 
his  long  rifle  to  bear  on  the  mark  and  fired.  I  was 
morally  sure  that  one  of  the  Apaches  would  fall ;  and 
Ben  and  Sile  were  the  only  men  in  the  party  that 
gave  me  the  same  assurance  in  their  inevitable  accu 
racy. 

Ben  fired  almost  as  soon  as  the  rifle  was  raised, 
took  the   same  position  he  had  taken,  and  as  I  ele 
vated  my  head,  I  saw  the  foremost  of  the  three  In 
dians  sink  upon  the  ground.     He  had  not  only  been 


2(58  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

hit,  but  he  had  been  hit  in  a  vital  part.  He  never 
knew  what  hurt  him. 

It  took  me  longer  to  get  the  range  of  the  second 
Indian,  for  he  was  beginning  to  make  a  demonstra 
tion  at  the  fall  of  his  leader.  I  had  the  mortification 
of  seeing  that  I  had  done  the  second  in  the  file  no 
harm.  Hal  fired  next,  and  more  promptly  than  I 
had  done.  His  man  fell,  but  I  saw  that  he  was  not 
killed.  I  sprang  to  my  feet  as  soon  as  the  Kentuck- 
ian  did  so,  and  fired  the  other  barrel  of  my  gun  at 
the  man  I  had  missed  before.  By  this  time  he  had 
pointed  a  heavy  gun  he  carried  in  the  direction  of 
the  grove.  His  left  arm  dropped,  and  the  gun  fell 
out  of  his  arms.  He  had  been  wounded. 

"I  reckon  you  didn't  hit  him  in  the  right  place, 
jedge,"  said  Ben,  as  he  walked  towards  the  spot 
where  the  first  and  third  man  had  fallen. 

"  I  am  afraid  my  nerves  arc  not  very  steady  after 
the  night  tramp  we  have  had." 

I  was  ashamed  of  the  bad  shots  I  had  made  ;  and 
I  compared  myself  with  such  marksmen  as  Ben  and 
Sile ;  but  I  was  an  average  shot.  I  followed  the 
Kentuckian  out  into  the  open  ground.  Don  Ramon 
had  stepped  a  little  out  of  the  way,  and  he  evidently 
comprehended  that  the  attack  had  been  made  on  the 
Apaches  in  his  interest. 

One  of  the  enemy  was  shot  dead ;  the  second  was 
writhing  on  the  ground,  and  the  minutes  of  his  life 
were  numbered  ;  the  other  had  been  wounded  in  the 
left  arm.  But  the  last,  with  his  right  hand,  had 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  269 

drawn  a  wicked-looking  knife  from  his  belt,  for. he 
wore  a  belt  around  his  nearly  naked  body.  It  did 
not  appear  that  he  intended  to  make  an  attack  with 
this  weapon,  and  only  got  it  ready  for  defence. 

I  walked  directly  towards  Don  Ramon,  leaving 
Ben  to  take  care  of  the  only  remaining  foe.  My 
Mexican  friend  looked  at  me  with  astonishment,  and 
did  not  appear  to  recognize  me  at  first ;  but  it  was 
because  he  hardly  looked  at  me  long  enough  to  see 
who  I  was.  He  said  afterward  that  he  thought  the 
Indian  guide  —  for  he  was  the  one  who  alone  re 
mained  "on  his  feet  — meant  to  use  the  knife  upon 
him.  But  Ben  and  the  rest  of  the  party  soon  placed 
themselves  between  the  Indian  and  his  victim,  and 
then  the  gentleman  looked  at  me  more  leisurely. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Don  Ramon  ;  but  sorry  to 
find  you  in  this  condition." 

"Judge!     Is  it  possible?  exclaimed  he,  in  good 

English,  for  he  was  a  scholar  as  well  as  a  gentleman. 

I  had  taken  out  my  knife,  and,  with  the  long  blade 

opened,  I  rushed  towards  him.    He  looked  at  me  with 

a  feeling  of  alarm,  as  I  judged  from  his  expression. 

"  Let  me  cut  those  ropes  from  your  arms.  I  see 
you  cannot  even  shake  hands  with  me." 

Possibly  he  thought  I  had  suddenly  become  his 
enemy,  and  intended  to  use  the  knife  upon  him  in 
another  Avay.  I  cut  the  strings  that  confined  his 
hands  behind  him,  and  the  first  thing  he  did  with 
them  was  to  grasp  both  of  my  hands  in  his  own. 
The  poor  gentleman  actually  shed  tears  as  he  did  so, 


270  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

for  doubtless  he  realized  that  he  had  suddenly  been 
redeemed  from  certain  death  at  the  hands  of  the 
Apaches. 

"You  are  an  angel  from  heaven,  judge!"  ex 
claimed  Don  Ramon,  brushing  the  tears  from  his 
face. 

"  Hardly." 

"You  cannot  know  what  it  is  to  be  saved  until 
you  have  been  through  some  of  my  sufferings,  judge. 
I  feel  like  a  woman,"  said  he,  possibly  ashamed  of 

the  tears  he  had  been  shedding. 

& 

"You  are  safe  now,  Don  Ramon.  Hal  is  here,  and 
he  shot  one  of  the  villains  who  were  conducting  }rou." 

"  Dear  little  Hal !  "  added  the  Mexican.  "  He  is  a 
brave  boy." 

I  called  Hal  from  the  party  near  the  Indians,  and 
he  promptly  responded  to  my  summons.  Don  Ra 
mon  embraced  him,  and  said  a  great  many  handsome 
things  to  him. 

"You  have  not  seen  Juanita  lately?"  said  Hal, 
plainly  to  introduce  the  announcement  he  was  on  the 
point  of  making,  and  which  had  been  reserved  for 
him. 

"Not  since  this  time  yesterday,"  replied  the  poor 
father,  as  he  covered  his  face,  and  began  to  tremble 
with  emotion. 

"Cut  it  short,  Hal." 

It  was  too  bad  to  allow  the  stricken  father  a  single 
instant  of  unnecessary  anguish ;  and  I  was  afraid 
Hal  would,  enlarge  too  much  on  the  preliminaries. 


THE    YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  271 

"I  saw  her  last  evening,"  continued  Hal. 

"  Juanita  ?"  exclaimed  Don  Ramon,  dropping  the 
arm  that  covered  his  face,  and  gazing  with  all  his 
being  into  the  eyes  of  the  boy. 

"In  a  word,  Don  Ramon,  she  is  safe  and  well,  in 
the  judge's  camp,"  added  Hal,  coming  to  the  point  all 
in  a  heap. 

"  No  !  you  are  jesting  with  me.  Juanita  is  in  the 
Apache  village  we  see  in  the  valley,"  cried  Don  Ra 
mon,  unable  to  believe  the  intelligence  so  promptly 
conveyed  to  him. 

"  She  is  not  there,  and  has  not  been  there,"  replied 
Hal.  "  Every  man  in  this  party  has  seen  her.  She 
was  taken  out  of  the  camp  of  the  Apaches,  near 
Castle  Hill,  and  Ned  was  the  boss  of  the  job." 

"  Can  it  be  possible  ?  "  demanded  the  father,  begin 
ning  to  look  a  little  hopeful. 

"  What  Hal  says  is  true,  every  word  of  it,  Don 
Ramon." 

"  If  you  say  so,  judge,  I  must  believe  it,  for  you 
would  not  trifle  with  a  father's  feelings.  I  can  hardly 
believe  it  yet,  though  you  do  say  it  is  true,  "answered 
the  Mexican,  rubbing  his  head  as  though  he  was 
dazed  by  the  intelligence. 

"  We  left  her  at  our  camp  last  evening  to  find  you." 

"  Is  she  safe !  Are  you  sure  they  would  not  be 
able  to  carry  her  off  again  ?  "  asked  the  father,  un 
able  to  realize  the  truth  of  the  good  news.  "  I  would 
not  trust  her  out  of  the  sight  of  my  own  eyes,  and 
she  was  stolen  before  my  very  face." 


272  THE    YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  She  is  in  the  care  of  Sile  Carter,  who  will  keep 
a  guard  over  her  night  and  day.  It  is  impossible  for 
all  the  Apaches  in  the  territory  to  get  her  away  from 
him,  he  is  in  such  a  strong  position." 

"  The  saints  be  praised  !  I  was  mad  to  bring  her 
with  me  into  this  wild  country.  It  is  all  my  fault. 
But  she  was  not  safe  at  home." 

"  But  you  need  not  reproach  yourself.  She  is 
safe ;  and  she  will  be  safe  if  you  don't  see  her  for  a 
month." 

After  a  while  I  succeeded  in  bringing  Don  Ramon 
to  a  more  composed  state  of  mind.  He  began  to  ask 
me  a  great  many  questions,  all  of  which  I  insisted 
upon  postponing  to  a  more  convenient  season  for 
answers.  My  friend  walked  with  me  over  to  the  spot 
where  the  rest  of  the  party  were  surrounding  the 
dead  and  living  Indians,  for  Hal's  victim  had  ceased 
to  writhe. 

Ben  had  taken  the  knife  from  the  hand  of  the 
guide,  and  tied  his  hands  behind  him.  I  introduced 
the  Kentuckian  to  Don  Ramon,  and  explained  to  the 
Mexican  how  deeply  he  was  indebted  to  him  for  the 
safety  of  his  daughter,  and  also  of  himself.  Don 
Ramon  expressed  his  gratitude  in  the  warmest  terms. 

fr  Hyer  ain't  no  place  for  we  uns  to  stop,"  said  Ben, 
breaking  in  upon  the  grateful  father's  speech.  "  We 
are  in  the  thick  of  the  Apaches,  and  I  reckon  they're 
thicker'n  hornets  in  this  quarter.  Take  the  back 
track,  and  don't  stop  to  chaw  on  it." 

We  walked  back  into  the  grove,  Ben  driving  the 


THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  273 

guide  before  him.  We  could  not  release  him,  for  he 
would  bring  a  gang  of  Apaches  down  upon  us,  and 
we  were  in  no  condition  for  a  fight  with  a  large  force 
of  them.  He  would  not  shoot  him  as  some  of  the 
men  suggested.  We  soon  found  that  Don  Ramon 
was  more  exhausted  than  our  own  party.  It  did  not 
look  as  though  we  should  be  able  to  march  back  to 

o 

the  camp  that  day.  We  sat  down  on  the  ground 
where  a  dense  thicket  covered  us  with  its  friendly 
leaves,  and  in  a  minute  I  think  that  half  our  men 
were  asleep. 

I  soon  ascertained  that  Don  Ramon  had  not  tasted 
food  since  the  middle  of  the  day  before,  and  I  sup 
plied  him  liberally  from  my  own  haversack.  When 
he  had  eaten  heartily  he  began  to  be  sleepy.  All  the 
men  dined  on  this  spot,  after  Ben  had  wakened  the 
sleepers.  We  fed  the  guide,  and  released  his  arms, 
for  he  could  not  harm  us  now.  The  worst  he  could 
do  was  to  run  away ;  and  he  knew  as  well  as  we  did 
that  an  escape  would  be  a  sufficient  excuse  for  shoot 
ing  him. 

Ben  would  not  permit  us  to  tarry  long  in  this  dan 
gerous  proximity  to  the  Apache  village.  After  din 
ner  we  were  all  in  better  condition  to  go  ahead.  Five 
miles  farther  on  we  halted  again.  I  mounted  guard 
myself,  and  every  other  man,  including  the  guide, 
went  to  sleep.  I  permitted  them  to  sleep  a  couple 
of  hours  and  then  we  resumed  our  journey. 


CHAPTEK  XXXHI. 

A  BIVOUAC  ON  THE  MOUNTAIN.  —  ANOTHER  LONG  TRAMP. — 
THE  ENTRANCE  TO  THE  CANON.  —  ANOTHER  ROUTE.  —  AT 
THE  FORD. —  JU ANITA.  —  SILE  CARTER  HARD  AT  WORK. — 
A  MISSION  DOWN  THE  TRAIL.  —  A  COMPLACENT  DOWN- 
EASTER. —  THE  STRAY  HORSES.  —  A  LAZY  AFTERNOON. — 
DON  RAMON'S  FOLLOWERS.  —  NED  BROWN'S  NARRATIVE. 
—  DON  RAMON'S  EXPLANATIONS,  —  THE  KENTUCKIAN'S 
VIEWS.  —  BUILDING  THE  BRIDGE.  —  A  FLYING  LEAP. 

A  T  sunset  we  had  gained  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
•^  tains.  It  was  useless  to  think  of  reaching  the 
camp  that  night.  We  were  all  worn-out  again.  I 
told  Ben  to  select  a  good  place  for  a  camp.  He 
chose  a  place  on  an  elevation,  and  arranged  the 
watches  for  the  night.  Every  man  got  at  least  six 
hours'  sleep,  and  at  daylight  in  the  morning  we 
resumed  the  wearisome  march. 

When  we  came  to  the  entrance  of  the  canon,  or 
rather  to  the  path  leading  to  it,  we  discovered 
another  trail,  which  Ave  concluded  would  take  us  to 
the  high  ground  above  the  bluff.  We  were  not  dis 
posed  to  encounter  the  perils  of  passing  through  the 
canon  again,  and  we  followed  the  other  path. 

274: 


THE    YOUNG    SILVEE    SEEKERS.  275 

At  this  point  we  found  a  path  where  the  Indians 
had  evidently  done  much  passing  from  the  high 
ground  to  the  flat,  and  the  other  way.  This  might 
be  a  valuable  discovery  to  us,  and  we  noted  the 
fact  for  future  use.  We  soon  reached  the  bluff,  and 
we  were  now  on  familiar  ground.  We  followed  it 
until  we  came  to  the  ford.  Our  coming  had  been 
observed  from  the  camp,  for  our  sentinels  overlooked 
every  possible  approach  to  the  camp. 

When  we  reached  the  ford,  Sile  was  on  the  other 
side,  with  a  long  log  he  had  hauled  from  the  grove 
below.  A  moment  later  I  saw  Juanita  running  as 
fast  as  she  could  towards  us.  As  soon  as  her  father 
saw  her,  he  rushed  over  the  water,  and  his  daughter 
was  soon  in  his  arms.  If  he  did  not  believe  she  was 
safe  before,  he  believed  it  now.  For  a  long  time 
they  remained  in  each  other's  embrace,  and  we  did 
not  disturb  them,  but  remained  on  the  other  side  of 
the  stream. 

"  Well,  jedge,  I  was  afeerd  you  would  never  come 
back,"  said  Sile. 

"  At  one  time  I  had  my  doubts  myself;  but  we  are 
all  right.  I  want  a  party  to  go  down  the  trail  at 
once." 

"Down  the  trail?" 

I  wished  to  notify  Peterson  that  Don  Ramon  was 
at  the  camp,  and  after  I  had  consulted  my  Mexican 
friend,  he  sent  an  order  for  his  party  to  remove  to 
our  location  at  once.  It  was  not  prudent  to  send 
anything  less  than  a  fighting  party  down  the  trail, 


276  THE   YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKEES. 

and  I  told  Sile  to  take  the  ten  men  who  had  remained 
in  camp  while  we  were  away,  and  conduct  the  enter 
prise  himself.  He  went  off,  leaving  his  log  where  it 
was,  and  mustered  his  men.  He  was  more  excited 
than  I  usually  found  him. 

In  fifteen  minutes  or  less  Sile  rode  up  to  the  spot 
where  I  was  lying  in  the  tall  grass.  He  was  mounted 
on  his  ordinary  steed  ;  but  he  was  evidently  thinking 
of  something  besides  a  warlike  expedition,  for  he  had 
not  taken  his  rifle  or  his  breech-loader.  I  looked  at 
him,  and  he  swung  his  hat  as  he  rode  towards  me. 
He  was  certainly  the  most  complacent-looking  man  I 
ever  saw  in  my  life.  A  broad  smile  wreathed  his 
wrinkled  face,  and  I  judged  he  was  going  to  tell  me 
that  he  had  found  the  silver  mine  for  which  we  had 
come  to  look. 

"I  forgot  to  tell  you,  jedge  ;  "  and  then  he  paused. 

"What  did  you  forget  to  tell  me,  Sile?" 

"  We  picked  up  a  dozen  bosses  this  morning ;  and 
I  cal'late  some  on  'em  belonged  to  that  Major  Gal- 
loupe,  for  I  found  his  name  on  the  saddles  some  on 
'em  had  on,"  continued  Sile. 

I  explained  the  history  of  the  horses  he  had  picked 
up.  He  told  me  they  had  come  up  to  the  ford  and 
crossed  it  themselves ;  and  he  seemed  to  think  they 
were  glad  to  get  among  white  men  again.  Sile  rode 
back  to  the  camp,  and  presently  appeared  again  at 
the  head  of  his  train,  this  time  with  two  guns  on  his 
person,  and  all  the  arms  in  his  belt  that  he  could 
find  room  for. 


"A  COMPLACENT   '  DOWN-EASTER.'  "  —  Page  276. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  277 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  when  we 
arrived  at  Castle  Hill.  Our  party,  except  those  who 
were  required  to  be  on  duty  as  sentinels,  slept  the 
rest  of  the  afternoon.  Don  Ramon  was  provided 
with  a  couch  of  blankets  in  the  caravel,  where  Juanita 
watched  over  him  while  he  slumbered. 

It  was  after  dark  when  Sile  returned  with  the 
party  of  Don  Ramon.  He  had  seen  no  Indians,  and 
we  thought  we  had  given  them  enough  of  it  for  the 
present.  When  Peterson  saw  the  Indian  guide,  who 
was  secured  to  a  tree,  he  was  disposed  to  tear  him  in 
pieces.  He  had  heard  from  Sile  the  main  particulars 
of  the  treachery  to  his  employer.  The  fellow  was 
sullen  and  morose,  though  I  had  done  all  I  could  to 
make  him  comfortable.  I  had  dressed  his  wound, 
which  was  a  shot-hole  through  the  fleshy  part  of  his 
arm. 

We  had  to  put  on  an  extra  team  to  haul  Don 
Ramon's  baggage-wagon  up  the  slope ;  and  then 
Juanita  was  restored  to  her  quarters  within  it.  Her 
waiting-maid  came  with  the  others.  Three  of  the 
men  were  wounded,  and  one  had  been  killed  in  the 
affray  with  the  Indians.  By  this  arrival  we  had  ten 
men,  including  the  Mexican  gentleman,  added  to  our 
party. 

Before  we  retired  for  the  night,  we  listened  to  the 
narrative  of  Ned  Brown  first,  and  then  to  that  of 
Don  Ramon.  I  have  not  the  space  to  give  any  more 
than  the  substance  of  either.  Ned  and  Jake  had 
made  their  way  with  extreme  caution  along  the  bluff', 


278  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

keeping,  when  they  could,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
stream.  Jake  climbed  trees  like  a  cat,  and  with  as 
little  noise,  and  surveyed  the  country  for  a  con 
siderable  distance  ahead  in  this  manner. 

At  last  they  came  upon  a  camp.  They  saw  the 
warriors  of  the  band  half  way  across  the  flat ;  and 
this  was  the  party  which  attacked  us  on  the  trail. 
Ben  had  fully  explained  his  plan  to  the  scouts.  The 
sight  of  the  band  hurrying  across  the  flat  to  attack 
the  white  men  had  assisted  them  in  finding  the  camp 
from  which  they  came.  From  his  eyrie  in  the  top  of 
a  tall  tree  the  agile  German  had  discovered  Juanita 
by  an  Indian  lodge,  with  two  men  guarding  her. 

Jacob  had  communicated  this  information  to  Ned. 
Getting  nearer  to  the  camp,  so  that  they  should  have 
a  better  chance  with  their  guns,  they  climbed 
another  tree,  following  the  instructions  of  the  Ken- 
tuckian.  They  had  worked  their  way  to  a  suitable 
position,  ascending  by  inches  that  the  two  sentinels 
over  the  maiden  need  not  be  disturbed.  Ned  took 
careful  aim  at  one  of  them,  and  fired.  The  Indian 
never  moved  again. 

Ned  then  discharged  his  second  barrel  at  the  other, 
taking  him  while  he  was  trying  to  ascertain  where 
the  gun  had  been  fired  from.  The  shot  brought  him 
to  the  ground,  but  he  was  not  killed.  The  scouts 
descended  the  tree  with  all  the  haste  they  could  and 
rushed  into  the  camp.  The  wounded  Indian  got  upon 
his  feet,  and  was  on  the  point  of  firing  his  old  flint 
lock  at  the  intruders  when  Jacob  picked  up  an  Indian 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  279 

club,  find  boat  his  brains  out  in  the  presence  of  the 
affrighted  Juanita. 

The  scouts  lost  no  time.  Ned  took  Juanita  by  the 
hand  and  dragged  her  away  from  the  camp.  When 
they  had  placed  a  good  distance  between  themselves 
and  any  possible  foe,  Ned  explained  who  and  what  he 
was,  and  that  he  had  come  to  take  her  from  the 
Indians.  Though  she  was  quite  feeble  from  the 
effect  of  nervous  depression,  they  hurried  her  back 
to  the  trail.  Before  they  reached  it,  they  discovered 
our  party  returning  from  the  fight  below.  When  I 
expressed  my  astonishment  that  the  report  of  Ned's 
gun  had  not  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Indians, 
who  could  not  have  been  far  from  the  camp,  as  I 
reckoned  the  time,  Ned  explained  that  Ben  had  told 
them  not  to  discharge  their  pieces  on  the  ground,  for 
the  reverberation  from  the  cliff  would  betray  them, 
while  the  report  from  the  top  of  the  tree  would  be 
supposed  to  be  on  the  high  ground  of  the  plateau. 

When  Ned  had  finished  his  narrative  Don  Ramon 
rushed  over  to  him  and  grasped  his  hand,  expressing 
his  gratitude  in  the  warmest  terms.  Hal  said  he 
wished  he  had  been  permitted  to  do  this  bit  of 
strategy.  I  did  not  hurt  his  feelings  by  saying  any 
thing,  but  I  think  he  was  so  impetuous  that  he  would 
have  failed. 

In  addition  to  what  Peterson  had  told  us  about  the 
Indian  guide,  Don  Ramon  informed  us  that  Ojo 
Negro,  or  Black  Eye,  who  had  duped  him  into  going 
to  the  Apache  village,  told  him  that  he  had  quarrelled 


280  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

with  his  chief,  and  that  he  would  recover  the  fair 
prisoner  if  he  would  go  with  him. 

"In  course  he  had  quarrelled  with  his  chief,"  inter 
posed  the  Kentuckian.  "  Nary  redskin  ever  gulled  a 
white  man  with  any  other  yarn." 

Don  Ramon  proceeded  to  say  that,  before  he 
reached  the  canon,  through  which  we  had  passed, 
they  were  joined  by  two  other  Apaches.  They  threw 
him  on  the  ground,  and  took  away  all  his  weapons, 
so  that  he  could  not  defend  himself.  They  had  driven 
him  before  them  to  the  point  where  we  interfered 
with  their  movements.  They  had  given  him  nothing 
to  eat ;  and  he  did  not  know  that  they  had  anything 
themselves.  They  had  slept  about  three  hours  on  the 
way.  He  had  slept  with  his  captors,  with  his  hands 
tied  behind  him,  and  his  feet  secured  so  that  he  could 
not  run  away.  It  was  possible  that  we  had  passed 
them  while  they  slept,  though  they  had  gone  a  por 
tion  of  the  way  by  a  different  path  from  that  which 
our  party  had  taken. 

"But  what  was  the  object  of  Ojo  Negro  in  taking 
you  to  the  village  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Don  Ramon  ;  "  they  gave 
me  no  information  on  that  subject.  I  fancied  it  had 
some  connection  with  my  daughter.  But  I  did  not 
know  then  that  she  had  escaped.  If  Ojo  knew  it 
he  said  nothing  about  it.  I  should  have  been  happy 
as  his  prisoner  if  I  had  known  the  fact." 

"He  did  know  it,"  said  Ben,  confidently.  "Arter 
they  got  you  into  their  village  they  would  have 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  281 

coaxed  your  daughter  to  go  and  see  you.  This  bogus 
guide  would  have  come  to  our  camp  with  a  flag  of 
truce,  or  sunthin'  o'  that  sort,  and  spun  just  such  a 
yarn  as  he  reeled  off  to  you. 

We  talked  about  the  matter  till  we  were  all  sleepy 
enough  to  roll  ourselves  up  in  our  blankets.  All  the 
guards  for  the  night  were  taken  from  Sile's  party  and 
that  of  Don  Ramon  ;  and  those  who  had  twice  crossed 
the  mountains  were  not  disturbed  during  the  night. 
In  the  morning  those  who  had  not  been  injured  in 
the  passage  through  the  canon  were  full  as  good  as 

new. 

When  I  walked  over  the  camp  about  daylight,  I 
found  that  Silo  had  improved  the  time  during  my 
absence,  and  he  had  logs  enough  on  the  edge  of  the 
canon  to  construct  the  bridge.  Our  men  did  not  work 
on  the  ten-hour  system,  and  before  sunrise,  every  one 
of  them,  except  those  who  were  on  the  sick-list  or 
were  doing  duty  as  sentinels,  was  on  the  ground.  In 
the  high  tree  on  the  verge  of  the  chasm,  which  I  had 
told  Sile  not  to  fell,  he  had  rigged  a  rude  block, 
made  by  one  of  the  men,  forty  feet  from  the  ground. 
At  the  foot  of  the  tree  was  another,  to  be  used  as  a 
snatch-block. 

I  doubted  if  the  block  was  strong  enough  to  hold 
the  log  that  was  to  form  one  of  the  stringers  of  the 
bridge.  Our  longest  rope  was  rove  in  the  blocks, 
and  two  horses  attached  to  the  power  end  of  it.  The 
only  thing  that  bothered  Sile  was  that  he  had  no  one 
on  the  other  side  of  the  canon  to  assist  in  that  direc- 


282  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

tion.  He  had  scarcely  spoken  of  this  difficulty  out 
loud  before  Jacob  grasped  the  end  of  the  rope  that 
hung  down  from  the  block,  and,  getting  a  SAving  upon 
it,  he  was  suspended  in  the  air  over  the  abyss.  Let 
ting  go  at  the  right  time,  he  landed  on  the  other  side. 
So  far  as  we  knew  he  was  the  first  man  that  ever 
stood  on  Castle  Hill. 


T 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

SILE  CARTER  EXCITED.— THE  MACHINERY  FORJ5UILDING  THE 
BRIDGE.  —  NED  AND  HAL  CROSS  THE  CANON.  —  RAISING 
THE  FIRST  STRINGER.  —  THE  LOG  IN  POSITION.  —  JUANITA 
ENCOURAGES  THE  ENGINEER  OF  THE  BRIDGE.  —  THE 
BRIDGE  FINISHED. —THE  PROCESSION  OVER  IT.  —  AR 
RANGEMENTS  ON  CASTLE  HILL.  — THE  BATTERY.  — THE 
SENTINELS.— THE  EXCAVATION.  —  INDIANS  IN  GREAT 
NUMBERS.  —  THE  APPROACHING  TRAIN. —THE  AMBUSH. 

(HE  hunters  gave  a  cheer  when  they  saw  Jacob 
Yager  land  on  the  other  side  of  the  chasm.  Sile 
Carter  "was  delighted  to  have  the  only  difficulty  in 
the  way  of  his  operations  removed.  He  made  a 
timber  hitch  in  the  end  of  the  rope,  and  secured  it  to 
the  log,  about  ten  feet  from  the  smaller  end.  The 
horses  were  hitched  to  the  other  end  of  the  rope,  and 
the  teamster  led  them  slowly  away  from  the  chasm. 

"  Now  she  rises  !  "  exclaimed  Sile,  as  delighted  as 
a  child  with  a  plaything  when  he  realized  that  the 
plan  was  a  success  so  far. 

"You  are  all  right,  Sile,  if  the  blocks  don't  split, 
and  let  the  stick  down  again.  I  think  it  is  not  quite 
safe  to  stand  near  it." 

I  walked  away  from  the  log,  and  most  of  the 
people  followed  my  example.  The  bridge-builder 

283 


284  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

merely  stepped  to  the  other  side  of  the  tree.  But 
the  blocks  did  not  break,  and  the  fact  that  they  did 
not,  spoke  a  volume  of  praise  for  the  maker  of  them, 
for  he  had  to  use  green  wood,  and  had  only  an  inch 
and  a  half  auger,  a  broadaxe,  and  a  saw. 

"  Hold  on  !  "  shouted  Sile  to  the  teamster,  when 
the  log  came  home  to  the  upper  block.  "Nothin's 
broke  yit,  jedge,  and  I  don't  cal'late  anything  will 
break." 

A  hand  was  sent  up  the  tree  with  the  end  of 
another  rope,  which  he  made  fast  to  the  upper  end 
of  the  log.  The  other  end  of  this  line  was  heaved 
across  the  chasm  by  Ben  Cavendish,  who  was  as  good 
to  obey  as  he  was  to  command.  The  stick  stood  on 
end  now,  and  was  to  be  lowered  so  that  the  upper 
part  would  cross  the  canon.  Jacob  took  the  line 
which  had  been  sent  over  to  him,  and  taking  a  single 
turn  around  a  tree,  he  hauled  in  as  the  long  rope  was 
slacked  off  by  backing  the  horses. 

But  the  log  seemed  to  be  as  fractious  as  a  mule, 
and  Jacob's  utmost  strength  was  not  enough  to  make 
it  fall  in  the  right  direction.  Ned  ran  up  the  tree 
almost  as  easily  as  the  German  had  done  it.  Taking 
to  the  guide-line  he  slid  down  to  the  other  side  of 
the  chasm.  Hal  did  not  quite  like  to  be  outdone  by 
his  companion,  and  he  followed  him  in  the  same  way. 
More  would  have  gone  if  I  had  not  checked  them. 

Ned  made  another  turn  around  the  tree,  and  gave 
the  end  of  the  rope  to  Hal.  The  German  and  Ned 
then  heaved  on  the  line,  and  Hal  kept  what  they  got. 


THE    YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  285 

The  horses  were  backed  again,  and  the  log  descended 
in  the  desired  direction.  As  soon  as  it  was  started 
right  it  went  down  without  further  difficulty.  In  a 
few  minutes  more  the  first  stringer  of  the  bridge 
lay  across  the  chasm.  Sile  was  almost  beside  him 
self  in  his  delight,  and  Juanita,  who  with  her  maid, 
Josefa,  had  come  up  to  the  chasm  as  soon  as  the  log 
was  in  position,  said  a  great  many  pretty  things  to 
the  engineer,  which  pleased  him  even  more  than  his 
success. 

The  second  stringer  was  laid  in  its  place  in  the 
same  manner  ;  and  then  a  third.  The  planking  con 
sisted  of  sticks  cut  at  the  right  length,  and  about  six 
inches  in  diameter.  We  had  now  over  thirty  men  in 
the  camp,  twenty-four  of  whom  were  available  to  Sile 
in  finishing  the  bridge.  With  two  men  to  each  stick, 
they  made  quick  work  of  putting  them  on  the  string 
ers.  The  planking  was  then  covered  with  earth  and 
sods,  and  by  the  middle  of  the  forenoon  the  bridge 
wras  completed. 

We  formed  a  sort  of  procession  and  marched  over 
to  Castle  Hill,  where  we  spent  half  an  hour  in 
examining  the  place.  I  selected  a  site  for  the  cara 
vel  on  the  highest  ground,  where  we  could  command 
the  bridge,  and  also  see  all  the  region  about  us.  We 
found  some  strange  formations  of  rock  on  the  hill, 
but  we  did  not  stay  to  examine  them  then,  for  Sile 
was  anxious  to  move  the  camp  to  the  land  of  promise 
which  he  had  opened  to  us. 

Although  there  was  considerable  pasturage  on  the 


286  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

hill,  I  decided  that  the  horses  should  remain  where 
they  were  for  the  present,  as  the  feed  was  excellent 
on  Burial  Hill,  as  I  had  named  it,  for  it  was  the  last 
resting-place  of  poor  Jerry  Benson.  There  were 
about  twenty  acres  in  this  hill,  and  about  half  as 
many  in  Castle  Hill. 

Upper  and  Lower  River  ran  due  north  on  each 
side  of  Burial  Hill,  while  the  course  of  the  Gila  was 
due  west,  and  formed  the  northern  boundary  of  this 
hill.  Lower  River  ran  through  the  canon  formerly, 
and  did  in  part  now  at  the  season  of  high-water. 
The  new  stream  encircled  Castle  Hill. 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  cafion,  that  is,  at  the  ford, 
near  the  foot  of  the  hill,  a  bend  in  Upper  River 
made  the  neck  of  land  between  the  two  streams  not 
more  than  forty  rods  wide.  Burial  Hill  was  there 
fore  a  peninsula,  and  on  all  its  water  sides  were  pre 
cipitous  bluffs.  It  was  apparently  impossible  to 
ascend  or  descend  them.  The  only  approach  to  the 
hill  was  a  narrow  one,  and  this  was  protected  by  the 
two  guns. 

We  hauled  the  caravel  and  the  two  wagons  across 
the  bridge  by  hand.  The  iron  ark  was  placed  on 
the  top  of  the  hill,  with  one  side  to  the  bridge.  At 
the  foot  of  the  hill,  farthest  from  the  canon,  the  two 
wagons  were  placed,  one  of  which  was  already  fitted 
up  as  the  chamber  of  Juanita  and  Josefa.  In  the 
other  we  made  beds  for  Don  Ramon,  the  two  boys, 
Peterson,  and  myself.  Before  night  we  were  com 
fortably  installed  in  our  new  camp. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  287 

The  next  day,  Ben  Cavendish  had  the  use  of  the 
men,  and  he  constructed  a  battery  for  the  two  guns, 
for  which  he  already  felt  a  warm  affection.  He 
called  them  "  The  Pets."  I  had  intended  to  take  the 
two  guns  over  to  Castle  Hill,  but  Ben  reasoned  me 
out  of  this  idea  by  showing  that  we  could  not 
defend  the  horses  if  we  did  so. 

"  What  has  become  of  all  the  Apaches  ? "  asked 
Don  Ramon,  in  the  evening,  after  the  camp  and  the 
battery  were  put  in  first-rate  condition. 

"  I  think  they  can't  be  far  off.  Probably  they  know 
all  about  the  situation  of  this  hill,  and  do  not  con 
sider  it  prudent  to  attack  us  here." 

"Don't  be  consarned  about  the  Apaches,"  added 
Ben,  shaking  his  head;  "  we  shall  see  enough  of 
them  yet.  We  have  punished  'em  pooty  smart,  and 
I  reckon  they  mought  not  be  quite  ready  to  start  in 
on  us  agin." 

"Do  you  think  there  are  any  of  them  around  here, 
Ben?"  asked  the  Mexican. 

"You  bet?  They  have  taken  the  measure  of  all 
we  have  done  the  last  two  days.  Some  on  'em  hes 
seen  your  darter  every  time  she  lies  went  out  of  that 
baggage-wagin,"  added  the  Kentuckian.  "  They  ain't 
goin'  to  let  us  rest  hyer  in  peace  no  mor'n  nothin'  on 
airth." 

But  we  did  not  see  a  single  Indian  during  the  next 
week,  and  things  were  getting  a  little  monotonous  in 
the  camp.  We  kept  two  sentinels  at  the  battery, 
and  two  on  the  top  of  Burial  Hill,  where  the  latter 


288  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

could  overlook  the  trail  on  the  Gila  in  both  direc 
tions. 

During  this  week  Don  Ramon  and  myself  examined 
Castle  Hill  thoroughly.  On  the  north  side  of  the 
central  hill  we  found  a  place  which  looked  like  an 
excavation  that  had  been  filled  up.  This  was  possibly 
the  silver  mine  for  which  we  were  in  search,  and  we 
began  at  once  the  work  of  throwing  out  the  stone. 
We  found  the  men  did  not  like  the  labor  even  so  well 
as  they  did  that  of  fighting  the  Indians.  We  con 
tinued  the  work  in  our  second  week  at  the  castle. 
But  only  a  few  men  could  work  at  once,  and  not  one 
of  them  was  required  to  do  half  a  day's  labor. 

Don  Ramon  had  considerable  information  in  regard 
to  the  location,  and  we  had  planned  several  trips  to 
points  in  the  vicinity,  which  we  hoped  would  open  the 
way  to  the  discovery  we  desired  to  make.  One  of 
us  stayed  at  the  working-place,  to  observe  the  signs 
that  were  apparent  as  the  opening  progressed.  It 
was  slow  progress  that  we  made.  I  was  attending  to 
this  duty  one  day  when  word  was  brought  to  me  that 
a  vast  horde  of  Indians  were  to  be  seen  from  the 
upper  station.  They  were  reported  to  be  moving  up 
the  great  trail,  as  we  always  called  that  by  the  Gila. 

I  called  Don  Ramon,  and  we  walked  together  to 
the  summit  of  Burial  Hill.  The  number  and  position 
of  the  Indians  appeared  to  be  correctly  given.  I 
could  not  estimate  the  number  of  the  band  with  any 
degree  of  accuracy,  but  I  judged  that  there  were 
between  two  and  three  hundred  of  them.  They  had 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  289 

passed  the  branch  trail  that  led  to  the  ford  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  and  they  evidently  did  not  intend  to 
attack  us  ;  at  least  not  at  present. 

"  A  long  train  of  wagons  is  coming  down  the  trail 
from  above,"  shouted  the  sentinel. 

We  hastened  to  the  spot  where  he  stood,  which 
commanded  a  view  up  the  river  for  a  considerable 
distance.  We  saw  the  head  of  the  procession,  and 
enough  of  the  body  of  it  to  satisfy  us  that  the  senti 
nel  had  correctly  stated  the  facts.  But  we  could  not 
yet  see  the  end  of  the  train,  and  we  had  no  means  of 
knowing  how  much  longer  it  was.  It  consisted  of 
baggage- wagons  and  mounted  men.  I  sent  Hal  for 
my  field-glass,  for  I  thought  it  possible  the  train 
might  be  United  States  troops. 

While  I  was  waiting  for  the  glass,  the  Indians, 
whom  we  recognized  as  Apaches  as  soon  as  they  came 
near  enough  to  be  distinctly  seen,  came  to  a  halt  at 
the  mouth  of  Lower  River.  As  I  have  stated  before, 
the  space  between  the  two  rivers  had  to  be  passed 
by  taking  to  the  water,  or  fording  it  from  one  stream 
to  the  other.  At  most  seasons  of  the  year  the  river 
was  so  low  that  they  did  not  have  to  go  into  the 
water  except  in  crossing  the  mouth  of  the  two  tribu 
tary  streams. 

"That's  a  good  place  for  an  attack  upon  a  train," 
said  Don  Ramon,  as  the  Indians  halted  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  ford  of  the  Gila. 

"  They  couldn't  find  a  better ;  and  I  fancy  that  is 
what  they  are  here  for.  We  haven't  seen  this  band 


290  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

before ;  at  least  not  many  of  them,  that  I  can  recog 
nize." 

They  were  a  hard-looking  set  of  human  beings. 
Some  of  them  were  on  horseback ;  and  they  rode 
good  animals,  for  the  most  part.  None  of  those  who 
were  mounted  carried  guns,  though  a  few  of  the  men 
on  foot  were  provided  with  such  a  quality  of  firearms 
as  we  had  seen  in  the  hands  of  other  bands.  Some 
were  almost  naked,  and  a  few  had  robes  like  cloaks. 
They  carried  their  bows  in  their  hands. 

The  horsemen  had  no  saddles,  or  even  bridles, 
though  a  rope  or  a  strap  in  the  mouth  of  the  horse 
was  a  substitute  for  it.  A  small  party  of  them  rode 
out  from  the  main  bod}^,  apparently  to  reconnoitre 
the  ground,  and  we  looked  down  upon  them,  seeing 
them  very  distinctly.  One  of  them  wore  a  sort  of 
helmet,  and  I  took  him  for  the  chief.  He  was  a  com 
paratively  young  man,  and  I  wondered  if  he  was  not 
the  magnate  for  whom  Juanita  had  been  intended 

o 

when  she  was  borne  to  the  camp  of  our  assailants  ; 
but  I  did  not  suggest  this  idea  to  Don  Ramon. 

The  party  returned  to  their  companions,  and  I  saw 
the  young  man  with  the  helmet  on  his  head  give 
some  orders  to  the  band.  In  a  few  moments  they 
were  all  out  of  sight  behind  a  little  grove  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river.  It  was  plain  now  what  they 
meant. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

SIGNALS    AMONG    THE    APACHES. —THE    ADVANCE   GUARD    OP 

THE     TRAIN. —MY    MESSAGE   TO   THEM. —THEY   RETIRE. 

A  CONSULTATION.  —  ENCAMPED  FOR  THE  NIGHT. SLEEP 
ING  ON  IT.  —  IN  THE  MORNING.  —  THE  ATTACKING  PARTY 
FROM  THE  TRAIN.  —  AN  AMBUSH  AGAINST  AN  AMBUSH.  — 
THE  FIRST  SHOT.  —  THE  ENEMY  BEWILDERED.  —  A  PANIC. 
—  ATTACK  OF  THE  TRAIN-MEN.  —  BEN  DISLODGES  THE 
INDIANS.  —  ROUTED  AND  RETREATING.  —  DEPARTURE  OF 
THE  TRAIN. 

TT>Y  this  time  the  train  was  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  hill.      Hal  had  brought  me  mv  "lass, 

O  *7      o 

and  Juanita  had  come  with  him,  for  she  wanted  to 
see  what  was  to  be  seen.  I  examined  the  train  with 
the  glass,  and  satisfied  myself  that  it  was  not  a 
government  party.  If  they  had  been,  I  should  have 
considered  them  competent  to  take  care  of  them 
selves  ;  and  they  would  have  regarded  any  action  on 
our  part  as  an  interference. 

"  It  looks  as  though  these  Indians  knew  that  this 
train  was  coming,"  said  Don  Ramon,  after  he  had 
pointed  it  out  to  Juanita,  and  sent  her  back  to  the 
castle  with  Hal. 

291 


292  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKEES. 

"No  doubt  of  it.  They  say  the  Apaches  have 
methods  of  signalling  from  one  body  to  another  for 
miles.  Probably  the  Apaches  had  messengers  in  this 
case,  unless  there  is  a  way  to  signal  to  the  high 
grounds  above  us." 

"  They  knew  of  the  approach  of  this  train ;  and  it 
don't  make  much  difference  how  they  obtained  their 
information,"  added  Don  Ramon.  "I  suppose  we 
can't  do  much  for  them  up  here." 

"  I  think  we  can  do  quite  as  much  up  here  as  we 
could  on  the  flat ;  perhaps  more." 

As  I  spoke  I  took  from  my  pocket  an  old  letter, 
and  wrote  upon  it :  "  Turn  back.  The  Indians  will 
attack  you  at  the  other  end  of  the  ford.  They  are  in 
ambush."  I  signed  my  name  to  the  paper,  and  then 
tied  it  to  a  stick. 

Half  a  dozen  men  rode  ahead  of  the  train  as  the 
advance  guard.  When  they  entered  the  water,  they 
halted  for  their  horses  to  drink.  Directly  over  them 
was  a  rock  which  projected  out  over  the  river,  where 
our  sentinel  generally  stood,  as  the  position  com 
manded  a  view  of  the  river,  above  and  below.  I 
rushed  out  upon  this  projection,  and  dropped  the 
stick  to  which  I  had  fastened  the  writing  into  the 
water.  It  fell  between  the  two  foremost  of  the  men. 
I  saw  one  of  them  pick  it  up,  and  tear  the  paper 
from  it. 

The  rider  read  it  and  then  looked  up  in  the  air 
to  sec  where  the  friendly  message  had  come  from.  I 
was  content  for  the  present  with  warning  the  party, 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  293 

and  I  did  not  show  myself  to  them.  They  could  not 
see  any  one  of  us,  unless  he  had  stretched  out  his 
neck  over  the  rock.  The  riders  consulted  together 
for  some  time,  but  I  could  not  hear  what  they  said. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  talk,  the  advance  guard  of 
the  train  rode  hack  to  the  main  body.  The  line  of 
wagons  was  halted,  and  I  saw  the  scouting  party  hand 
the  paper  to  a  man  near  the  head  of  the  train.  I 
judged  by  the  gestures  of  the  man  who  had  handed  in 
the  written  message  that  he  was  describing  the  posi 
tion  the  Apaches  must  occupy. 

By  this  time  Ben  Cavendish,  who  had  come  by 
right  of  his  ability  to  be  the  commander-in-chief  of 
our  war  parties,  though  Sile  was  still  the  second  in 
authority,  had  gathered  all  the  fighting  men  of  our 
camp  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  with  the  exception  of  the 
two  sentinels  at  the  battery.  I  had  a  talk  with  him, 
and  he  was  no  more  disposed  to  interfere  with  the 
affair  in  progress  below  than  I  was,  until  the  occasion 
seemed  to  require  it.  I  told  him  what  I  had  done, 
and  he  was  willing  to  wait  for  further  action  below ; 
but  he  was  ready  for  anything. 

It  was  now  nearly  night,  and  the  result  of  the  talk 
in  the  train  was  that  the  party  encamped  where  they 
were.  Perhaps  this  Avas  done  to  avoid  a  conflict  in 
the  dark  with  the  Apaches ;  and  I  commended  their 
wisdom.  They  were  safe  where  they  were,  for  the 
Indians  could  only  reach  them  by  fording  the  Gila. 
A  strong  guard  was  stationed  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
camp,  where  they  could  take  any  enemy  approaching 


294  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

them  in  the  water,  as  the  Apaches  evidently  intended 
to  do  by  them,  and  thus  obtain  a  great  advantage. 

I  waited  on  the  hill  until  it  was  dark ;  but  not  an 
Indian  showed  himself.  I  had  no  doubt  they  were  in 
a  state  of  expectancy,  but  no  train  appeared  to  reward 
their  vigilance.  My  pencil  note  had  robbed  them  of 
their  prey  for  the  present ;  but  there  wTere  likely  to 
be  stirring  times  at  the  Gila  ford  the  next  day. 
Probably  the  Indians  reconnoitred  their  expected 
victims  from  the  river,  or  by  sending  men  across 
lower  down.  We  doubled  our  sentinels  and  either 
Ben  or  Sile  was  on  the  watch  all  night. 

Don  Ramon  and  I  went  to  bed  as  usual,  and  I 
slept  as  well  as  ever  I  did  in  my  life,  so  much  con 
fidence  had  I  in  the  watchful  care  maintained  over 
our  camp.  But  at  daylight  in  the  morning  Don 
Ramon,  the  boys,  and  I  hastened  to  the  bluff,  anxious 
to  ascertain  the  position  of  things.  The  sentinel 
reported  that  no  change  had  taken  place  in  affairs 
below. 

We  waited  patiently  for  developments.  I  soon 
saw  that  the  men  in  charge  of  the  train  had  no  inten 
tion  of  turning  back,  and  prosecuting  their  journey 
by  some  less  dangerous  path.  At  sunrise,  all  the 
armed  men  of  the  party  who  were  mounted  on  rather 
jaded  horses,  from  which  I  concluded  that  they  had 
come  through  from  Texas,  formed  near  the  ford.  I 
saw  that  they  were  going  to  feel  of  the  enemy,  and 
drive  them  off  if  they  could.  I  called  Ben. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  take  a  hand  in  this  pickle." 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  295 

"  All  right,  jedge ;  jest  as  you  say,"  he  replied, 
with  his  usual  real  or  apparent  indifference.  "  Ef 
you  say  clean  out  them  Injens,  I  reckon  'twill  be 
done  as  soon  as  sareumstances  will  permit,  if  not 
sooner." 

"  Those  are  fine-looking  men  belonging  to  the  train, 
and  I  don't  want  to  see  them  butchered ;  or  even 
plundered  of  their  horses  and  stores  before  our  eyes 
without  doing  something  for  them." 

"  We'll  clean  out  them  Injens  as  soon  as  they  show 
their  dirty  faces,"  replied  Ben,  as  he  moved  off  to  his 
men. 

The  next  I  saw  of  Ben  he  was  crossing  the  bridge, 
with  about  twenty  men  behind  him.  Others  he  had 
stationed  on  the  cliff  overhanging  Lower  River,  below 
the  castle.  The  larger  party  he  marched  to  the  north 
side  of  Castle  Hill.  As  his  party  approached  the 
bluff,  I  saw  that  they  moved  with  great  caution,  and 
at  last  his  men  lay  down  on  the  ground  and  crawled 
to  the  verge  of  the  precipice.  It  was  impossible  for 
any  of  the  Indians  below  to  know  what  was  going  on 
upon  the  high  ground  where  we  were. 

The  only  point  which  commanded  a  view  of  the 
two  hills  which  we  occupied  was  the  ground  beyond 
the  ford,  and  above  the  pond.  There  were  no, 
Apaches  there  ;  if  there  had  been  the  sentinels  would 
have  seen  them.  Not  a  native  had  been  seen  in  this 
portion  of  the  high  ground  since  our  arrival,  though 
we  had  expected  them  to  appear  for  two  days  after 
our  arrival. 


296  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

At  the  northwest  corner  of  Castle  Hill  there  was 
a  rock  extending  from  the  water  in  the  river  to  the 
level  of  the  hill  at  its  base,  which  presented  the 
appearance  of  a  couple  of  columns,  and  formed  a  bas 
tion.  It  reached  out  about  fifteen  feet  from  the  main 
body  of  the  island.  To  this  point  Ben  and  Buck 
Sykes,  with  three  others,  all  armed  with  breech 
loaders,  proceeded.  This  position  afforded  a  view  of 
the  flat  on  the  north  and  west  of  the  castle,  as  well  as 
a  sight  through  the  opening  between  Pear  Island,  and 
the  mouth  of  the  Lower  Eiver,  so  that  Ben  could  see 
the  party  from  the  train  before  the  Indians,  unless 
they  came  out  from  their  covert  in  the  grove  and 
bushes. 

Hal  and  Ned  were  stationed  at  the  verge  of  the 
precipice  on  Burial  Hill.  Don  Eamon  and  I  joined 
them  there.  We  were  both  armed  in  full,  and  were 
ready  to  take  part  in  the  coming  affray,  which,  how 
ever,  was  to  be  no  affray  at  all  so  far  as  our  party 
were  concerned.  The  Apaches  were  in  ambush, 
intending  to  fall  upon  the  approaching  party  in  the 
ford ;  and  our  thirty  men  were  in  ambush  to  shoot 
down  the  Apaches  as  soon  as  they  showed  them 
selves.  Up  to  this  time  not  an  Indian  had  shown 
himself. 

"  But  don't  they  know  that  we  are  here  ?  "  asked 
Don  Ramon,  in  a  whisper. 

"They  act  as  though  they  did  not.  I  do  not 
recognize  a  single  Indian  that  I  have  seen  before, 
and  I  have  looked  them  over  very  thoroughly.  I 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  297 

am  inclined  to  think  that  this  is  not  the  party  we 
encountered  before.  It  may  be  another  of  the  eight 
bands  of  this  tribe." 

"  If  it  is  the  same  band  that  attacked  you  and  me 
before  it  would  be  stupid  for  them  to  operate  here, 
with  a  strong  body  of  white  men  in  their  rear,"  added 
Don  Ramon. 

"  I  think  the  party  we  met  before  have  gone  over 
the  mountains  and  retired  to  their  village,  where 
Ojo  Negro  was  conducting  you." 

The  crack  of  a  rifle  terminated  our  conversation, 
which  was  carried  on  in  a  low  tone.  It  was  Ben 
Cavendish  who  had  opened  the  ball.  I  looked  down 
upon  the  flat.  We  could  not  see  the  ford  in  the  Gila 
from  the  point  where  we  were  stationed,  but  the 
movements  of  the  Indians  were  all  in  view.  I  saw 
them  creeping  out  from  their  concealment  in  the 
grove. 

The  first  one  that  appeared  dropped  upon  the 
ground  when  the  Kentuckian  fired  his  long  rifle.  He 
did  not  move  again,  and  some  of  his  companions 
dragged  him  out  of  the  way.  The  Apaches  seemed 
to  be  staggered  by  this  shot,  and  looked  about  them 
to  ascertain  where  it  came  from.  At  this  moment  a 
general  fire  was  opened  upon  the  Indians  from  both 
of  the  bluff's  that  overlooked  the  flat.  Indian  after 
Indian  fell,  and  the  others  seemed  to  be  utterly  con 
founded  by  the  continuous  fire  that  was  poured  into 
them. 

While  the  Apaches   were   panic-stricken   by   the 


298  THE    YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

number  of  their  band  who  had  fallen,  the  horsemen 
from  the  train  came  in  sight.  They  began  to  fire 
upon  the  Indians,  and  their  fire  was  not  in  vain. 
Suddenly  the  savages,  seeing  that  they  had  no  chance 
at  all,  retreated  to  the  cover  of  the  bluff,  where  we 
could  no  longer  see  them.  Possibly  the  travellers 
believed  they  had  done  the  fearful  execution  they 
saw  themselves,  though  I  did  not  see  how  they  could 
entertain  such  an  idea. 

"  Ben  is  up  to  something,"  said  Hal,  as  the  firing 
along  our  line  ceased,  though  it  was  kept  up  by  the 
horsemen  from  the  train. 

"What  is  he  doing?" 

A  crash  on  the  rocks  below,  which  bordered  the 
stream,  informed  us  what  he  was  doing.  The 
Apaches  had  evidently  forded  the  river  in  order  to 
find  a  more  secure  position  at  the  base  of  the  bluif. 
The  Kentuckian  and  his  companions  were  rolling 
loose  rocks  doAvn  upon  the  enemy.  A  terrible  yell 
followed  the  crash,  and  the  Apaches  came  out  from 
their  fancied  security  under  the  overhanging  cliff. 
We  fired  at  them  again  as  they  came  in  sight ;  but 
they  did  not  wait  to  return  the  fire.  .  Those  who 
were  mounted  dashed  off  as  fast  as  their  horses  could 
carry  them ;  and  I  saw  that  the  chief  in  the  helmet 
was  one  of  the  number.  I  sent  a  ball  after  him,  but 
I  missed  my  aim.  Those  on  foot  followed  them  as 
fast  as  their  legs  would  carry  them. 

It  was  all  over  in  a  few  minutes ;  but  at  least  a 
dozen  of  the  Apaches  had  been  killed,  and  twice  as 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  299 

many  had  been  badly  wounded.  The  train  men 
returned  to  the  ford  as  soon  as  they  realized  that  .the 
enemy  had  been  defeated,  and  presently  the  long 
line  of  wagons  came  out  of  the  water,  and  proceeded 
down  the  trail. 


CHAPTEE  XXXVI. 

AN  INDIAN  AT  THE  FORD. — WHAT  IT  MEANT. — LOOKING 
OVER  THE  BATTERY. —  AN  EXTREME  SUPPOSITION.  —  THE 
KENTUCKIAN  CONSIDERS  THE  SITUATION.  —  THE  SEARCH 
FOR  SILVER.  —  AT  THE  EXCAVATION.  —  AN  UNPOETICAL 
TASK.  —  NED  AND  HAL  WITH  SPECIMENS.  —  IN  THE 
CANON. — SOMETHING  ABOUT  IT. — A  DISMAL  PLACE. — 
THE  SHELF  IN  THE  ROCK.  —  DON  RAMON  EXCITED.  —  AS 
A  SECRET.  —  THE  TRUMPET  BLAST  FROM  THE  BATTERY. 

HPHE  excitement  was  over  for  the  present,  and  we 
went  to  breakfast.  While  we  were  discussing 
the  meal  and  the  events  of  the  morning  word  came 
to  us  that  an  Indian  had  been  seen  over  beyond  the 
ford.  As  only  one  appeared  we  concluded  it  was 
only  a  scout,  and  that  the  party  which  had  been 
defeated  so  thoroughly  on  the  flat  were  disposed  to 
inquire  into  the  nature  of  the  force  on  the  high 
ground  that  had  punished  them  so  severely. 

We  finished  the  meal,  and  allowed  the  Indian 
scouts  to  reconnoitre  as  much  as  they  pleased.  We 
could  be  approached  only  on  one  of  our  four  sides, 
and  it  looked  disgraceful,  under  the  circumstances,  to 
get  up  a  sensation  for  one  Indian.  We  were  invin 
cible  to  all  the  Indians  in  the  territory,  unless  we 
300 


THE    YOUNG    SILVEK    SEEKERS.  301 

made  some  mistake.  But  then  most  battles  are  lost 
by  mistakes ;  if  not,  then  two  armies  of  equal  force 
might  fight  till  the  end  of  time  without  any  decided 
result. 

After  breakfast  I  walked  with  Ben  down  to  the 
battery.  He  had  made  every  arrangement  in  that 
quarter  for  the  defence  of  our  position.  We  could 
see  no  Indians,  but  there  might  be  a  thousand  on  the 
high  ground  beyond  the  ford.  We  certainly  had 
horses  and  stores  enough  to  tempt  them  ;  and  we  had 
all  set  it  down  as  a  certainty  that  our  position  would 
be  attacked  sooner  or  later.  The  Apaches  seemed 
never  to  know  when  they  were  beaten.  They  lost 
battles,  but,  that  did  not  deter  them  from  pushing 
their  arms  wherever  there  was  a  chance  for  plunder 
or  an  opportunity  to  dislodge  the  whites. 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  your  battery  is  in  the  right 
place,  Ben,  after  all." 

"  I  reckon  it  is  in  the  right  place  ef  we  are  gwine 
to  defend  these  two  hills,"  replied  Ben,  looking  at  me 
with  surprise. 

"  I  agree  to  that ;  but  suppose  we  are  driven  out 
from  this  position?" 

"  Driven  out  of  it  ?  I  reckon  we  won't  s'pose  no 
such  thing,"  protested  the  Kentuckian.  "  There  ain't 
Indians  enough  this  side  of  the  Eocky  Mountains  to 
drive  us  out  of  it." 

"  How  many  Indians  did  you  ever  fight  at  once, 
Ben?" 

"More'n  three  hundred." 


302  THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

"How  many  men  had  you?" 

"  Only  twenty." 

:'  Then  you  were  lucky.  Suppose  five  hundred 
Indians  should  set  about  breaking  through  our  line 
here  into  the  camp  ?  " 

"  Ef  they  set  about  it  I  reckon  it  would  be  a  sore 
time  for  'em." 

"  I  think  it  would  be,  Ben.  But  we  have  driven 
them  to  desperation.  We  have  whipped  them  in 
several  attacks  they  have  made  upon  us." 

"I  don't  keer  how  desp'ate  they  be." 

"  If  they  should  stick  to  it  long  enough,  though 
we  killed  a  hundred  of  them,  there  would  be  four 
hundred  of  them  to  crowd  us  down ;  and  they  might 
get  over  the  battery." 

"  Ef  our  men  don't  stand  up  to  it,  and  keep  stand- 
in'  up  to  it,  they  mought  drive  us  back.  Then  we 
should  lose  the  hosses." 

"  And  the  guns,  Ben.  We  should  lose  our  best 
means  of  defence." 

"  But,  jedge,  you  are  s'posin'  sunthin'  that  ain't 
agoin'  to  happen  no  more'n  nothin'  in  the  world." 

"  It  is  always  best  to  look  on  the  worst  side  of  the 
matter." 

"  I'll  look  it  over,  jedge.     Mebbe  you  are  right." 

I  left  the  Kentuckian  to  consider  the  matter,  and 
walked  back  to  Castle  Hill.  Don  Ramon  had  the  men 
at  work  on  the  mine.  Thus  far  we  had  discovered  no 
evidence  that  the  excavation  we  were  making1  had 

o 

ever  been  opened  before.    There  was  no  poetry  at  all 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  303 

in  the  operations  we  were  conducting,  and  the  men  all 
worked  under  protest.  They  wanted  something  more 
stirring  than  throwing  rocks  out  of  a  hole. 

tr  Do  you  find  anything,  judge?  "  asked  Ned,  as  he 
and  Hal  came  up  to  the  excavation. 

"  Nothing  yet,  Ned.  We  don't  expect  to  find  any 
thing  without  labor,  though  some  of  the  greatest 
silver  mines  in  the  world  have  been  discovered  by 
accident." 

"What  do  you  call  that?"  asked  Ned,  as  he  held 
out  his  hand,  which  contained  some  substance  so  large 
that  it  was  all  he  could  hold  out  with  one  hand. 

"  It  looks  like  silver." 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  fool's  silver  and  gold  dug 
out  of  the  earth,  and  I  was  not  in  haste  to  come  to  a 
decision.  I  called  Don  Kamon,  who  had  seen  a  great 
deal  more  of  silver  mining  than  I  had.  He  took  the 
lump  of  ore  in  his  hand  and  looked  it  over. 

"  That  is  silver  !  "  exclaimed  he,  his  face  lighting 
up  with  satisfaction. 

"Are  you  sure,  Don  Ramon?  "  asked  Hal,  who  was 
quite  as  much  interested  in  the  matter  as  Ned. 

"Am  I  sure?  Have  I  lived  all  my  life  in  the 
midst  of  silver  operations  and  don't  know  the  article 
when  I  see  it?"  replied  Don  Ramon,  beginning  to 
warm  up  as  his  favorite  topic  came  before  him. 
"  That  is  virgin  silver." 

"  There  are  so  many  things  that  look  like  silver 
that  I  wanted  to  know  about  this,"  added  Ned. 

"  That  is  the  pure  article,"  added  the  Mexican. 


304  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKEKS. 

"And  what  is  this?  "  inquired  Hal,  as  he  produced 
a  small  lump  of  yellow  metal ;  at  least  it  looked  like 
metal,  though  it  might  have  been  some  other  mine- 

O  O 

ral,  one  of  the  specimens  of  fool's  gold. 

"That  is  virgin  gold,"  replied  Don  Kamon,  after 
he  had  examined  the  specimen. 

Though  the  small  piece  was  of  greater  value  than 
the  large  piece  of  silver,  the  mining  operator  seemed 
to  be  much  more  interested  in  the  silver.  He  was 
rich  enough  without  any  more  gold  or  silver,  but  the 
ruling  passion  was  strong  with  him. 

"  Where  did  you  find  this  ?  "  he  asked,  holding  up 
the  specimen  of  silver. 

"  In  the  caiion,"  replied  Ned,  quietly ;  and  his 
manner  was  in  contrast  with  that  of  the  Mexican 
gentleman. 

"  In  the  canon  !  " 

This  was  my  exclamation,  for  thus  far  the  canon 
had  been  pronounced  impassable  and  impenetrable. 
I  was  afraid  the  boys  had  been  risking  their  lives  in 
some  foolish  venture.  Besides,  if  it  was  possible  to 
penetrate  the  canon,  the  Indians  might  get  into  it, 
and  find  their  way  into  the  camp  on  the  island.  We  had 
not  explored  it,  and  its  secrets  were  unrevealed  to  us. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  we  found  it  clown  in  the  canon," 
repeated  Ned.  He  smiled  and  seemed  to  be  rather 
pleased  with  the  sensation  he  had  created. 

"How  did  you  get  into  the  canon?  We  have  not 
yet  found  any  way  of  entering  it  at  the  upper  end ; 
and  we  have  not  examined  the  other  end." 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  305 

The  river  poured  over  a  cataract  into  a  dark  abyss 
just  below  the  ford,  and  the  only  way  to  get  into  the 
canon  from  that  quarter  would  have  been  to  jump 
into  the  deep  basin  of  water,  whipped  into  foam, 
which  we  could  make  out  in  the  darkness  of  the 
abyss.  I  was  sure  no  person  could  pass  through  the 
chasm  unless  they  found  a  way  to  climb  the  cataract 
in  the  face  of  the  rushing  stream.  I  judged  that  the 
water  did  not  flow  over  the  precipice  that  formed  the 
upper  end  of  the  canon  in  the  dry  season ;  but  the 
rock  was  not  to  be  scaled  without  ladders  or  some 
equivalent  appliances. 

"We  went  down  into  the  canon.  There  wasn't 
any  other  way  to  get  into  it,"  answered  Ned. 

"Don't  fool  about  it,  Ned.  The  Apaches  are 
scouting  near  the  ford ;  and  if  there  is  any  way  for 
them  to  get  into  the  canon  I  want  to  know  it  before 
a  band  of  them  break  in  upon  us  where  we  don't 
expect  them." 

"We  were  not  looking  for  silver  or  gold,  judge; 
and  we  were  not  thinking  it  possible  that  the  Indians 
could  get  into  the  cafion.  It  is  the  worst-looking 
hole  I  ever  went  into ;  and  Hal  will  say  the  same. 
No  Apaches  could  come  up  from  the  lower  end  un 
less  they  had  wings,  and  only  angels  wear  them." 

"You  don't  say  how  you  got  into  the  canon,  Ned." 

I  was  beginning  to  be  angry  with  the  boy,  though 
he  very  seldom  vexed  my  spirit. 

"Sile  Carter's  hoisting  rope  is  still  made  fast  in 
the  tree,  we  dropped  the  end  into  the  canon,  and 


306  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

went  down  on  that,"  said  Ned,  coming  to  the  point 
at  last.  "We  hauled  up  the  line  after  us,  and  I  don't 
reckon  no  Apaches  will  come  up  that  way,  as  Ben 
would  say." 

"No  danger  from  the  Apaches  in  that  direction, 
judge,"  said  the  Mexican  silver  operator.  He 
seemed  to  be  quite  excited.  The  report  of  the  boys 
appeared  to  suggest  something  to  him. 

"It  is  not  a  very  convenient  place  to  get  at  where 
we  found  these  specimens,"  added  Hal. 

"Have  you  told  anybody  what  you  found,  Ned," 
asked  Don  Eamon,  with  a  glance  at  the  men  who 
were  at  work  in  the  hole. 

"Not  a  soul;  we  haven't  seen  anybody  since  we 
came  up,  just  as  we  walked  up  here,"  answered  Ned. 

"Then  don't  mention  the  matter  to  a  single  person, 
at  least  not  till  we  have  examined  very  carefully  the 
place  where  you  found  this  silver,"  added  the  Mexi 
can,  nervously,  as  he  looked  again  at  the  men  in  the 
hole.  But  they  Avere  too  far  off  to  hear  anything 
that  had  been  said. 

"  We  will  be  as  secret  as  the  silver  has  been  since 
the  foundation  of  the  earth,"  added  Ned,  who  was 
not  quite  sure  whether  he  was  playing  a  part  in  a 
drama  or  a  farce. 

"  Was  it  at  the  bottom  of  the  cafion  that  you  found 
these  specimens?"  asked  Don  Ramon. 

"No,  sir;  it  was  about  half  way  down,"  said  Hal. 
"Ned  went  down  first,  and  I  followed  him.  I  found 
him  standing  on  a  kind  of  shelf,  and  there  was  some- 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  307 

thing  in  the  nature  of  a  cave  farther  back.  At  any 
rate,  there  was  a  considerable  hole.  It  was  rather 
dark,  but  I  saw  something  bright,  and  Xed  picked 
this  up.  I  found  the  gold." 

"They  are  often  found  together,"  added  the  silver 
expert. 

"But  you  don't  seem  to  think  the  gold  was  worth 
bringing  up,  Don  Ramon,"  added  Ned. 

"Of  course  the  gold  is  valuable,  but  it  is  found  in 
very  small  quantities  compared  with  the  silver.  We 
will  secure  all  we  can  of  both.  We  are  not  in  con 
dition  to  work  a  silver  mine  at  present,  and  we  had 
better  keep  the  secret.  If  it  proves  to  be  a  silver 
mine,  I  will  go  down  into  it  as  soon  as  I  have  an 
opportunity,  and  we  shall  know  wiiere  to  come  when 
we  are  ready  to  operate  it." 

"Don't  you  think  we  had  better  go  down  now, 
while  the  rope  is  in  place,  for  Sile  may  remove  it 
when  he  wants  it  for  something  else,"  suggested 
Hal. 

"I  am  ready  to  go  now.     We  will ." 

Don  Ramon's  reply  was  interrupted  by  the  shrill 
blast  of  the  horn,  which  was  the  signal  for  all  the 
party  to  hasten  to  the  battery.  In  a  word  it  was  the 
danger  signal. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

AT  THE  BATTERY.  —  NO  INDIANS  IN  SIGHT.  —  BEN'S  REPORT 
OF  HIS  SCOUTING.  —  CONJECTURES  IN  REGARD  TO  THE 
FORCE  OF  THE  ENEMY.  —  THE  KENTUCKIAN'S  ADMISSION. 

—  A     PARTY     OF     SKIRMISHERS.  —  THE     FIRE     FROM     THE 
BREASTWORK. — THE   MOUNTED   INDIANS   FROM  THE  FLAT. 

—  THE     HELMED     CHIEF.  —  UNHORSED. — GREAT    SLAUGH 
TER. —  FEARFUL   YELLS. — ADVANCE   OF    THE  MAIN     BODY. 

—  THE     FORCE     OF    NUMBERS.  —  THE     FIRST    FIRE   OF   THE 
T  WEL  VE-PO  UNDER. 

A  T  the  sound  of  the  horn,  which  was  blown  by 
•^  Buck  Sykes  at  the  order  of  the  Kentuckian, 
we  dropped  the  subject  of  silver  and  silver  mining, 
and  proceeded  to  the  caravel,  where  we  snatched  up 
our  arms,  and  hastened  to  the  battery.  Every  man 
in  the  party  was  there,  or  soon  appeared,  with  the 
single  exception  of  the  sentinel  on  the  top  of  the 
hill ;  and  he  was  not  to  leave  his  post  except  upon  a 
special  order. 

As  we  were  picking  up  our  anus,  we  saw  Juanita 
and  Josefa  climbing  over  the  ladder  at  the  end  of  the 
caravel.  Don  Ramon  told  his  daughter  to  keep 
down  below  the  iron  sides  of  the  ark,  so  that  a 
chance  shot  might  not  harm  her.  They  had  been 
308 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS.  309 

instructed  before  to  do  this  in  case  of  an  attack  upon 
the  camp. 

But  when  we  reached  the  battery  we  saw  nothing 
of  any  Indians,  though  Ben  was  not  the  man  to  raise 
a  false  alarm.  By  this  time  Ben  had  extended  a 
breastwork  entirely  across  the  peninsula,  which 
served  as  rifle-pits  for  our  men,  and  answered  the 
purpose  of  a  fence  to  keep  the  horses  within  the 
enclosure  on  the  hill.  This  had  been  a  slow  job,  for 
we  had  but  two  shovels  in  our  party,  to  which  Don 
Eamon  had  added  one  more.  Outside,  that  is,  on 
the  ford  side,  the  sod  had  been  laid  on  the  earth,  so 
that  it  did  not  look  very  different  from  the  ground  as 
nature  left  it. 

Behind  his  earthwork  the  Kentuckian  had  posted 
the  men.  Buck  Sykes  was  in  charge  of  one  gun, 
and  Emile  Pont  of  the  other.  Some  of  the  vaqueros 
had  been  drilled  in  the  handling  of  the  pieces,  so 
that  no  more  of  the  hunters  might  be  taken  from  the 
defence  than  was  necessary. 

With  the  boards  from  the  caravel  platforms  had 
been  built,  so  that  the  heavy  guns  could  be  handled 
with  ease.  Ben  had  spent  his  whole  time  in  strength 
ening  the  works  since  the  arrival  of  Don  Ramon,  and 
had  made  a  business  of  drilling  the  men  for  their 
duty.  As  I  looked  at  the  preparations  I  thought  it 
extremely  unlikely  that  we  could  be  driven  from  the 
position. 

"  I  don't  see  any  Indians." 

I  said  this  to  Ben  as  soon  as  I  had  inspected  his 


310  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

preparations  for  the  fight,  —  if  there  was  to  be  a 
light,  for  there  was  not  even  a  windmill  to  engage  us 
yet. 

"The  woods  is  full  on  'em,"  replied  the  Ken- 
tuckian.  "I  don't  say  there's  a  million,  but  there  is 
a  powerful  lot  on  'em." 

"  But  I  don't  see  a  single  one  ;  and  I  don't  know 
how  you  can  see  any  more  of  them  than  I  can." 

t?  They  hain't  got  here  yet ;  but  there's  a  lot  o' 
scouts  prowlin'  around  on  the  other  side  of  the  ford. 
Buck  and  I  hes  been  over  thar  and  I  reckon  we  seen 
all  there  is  to  see." 

"  Is  it  the  same  band  we  routed  down  on  the  flat  ?  " 

"  Some  on  'em  is,  and  some  on  'em  isn't.  I  reckon 
the  big  chief  hes  jest  come." 

"Who?     Cochise?" 

"  I  don't  know  who  he  is ;  and  I  wouldn't  know 
him  for  a  pound  of  the  best  plug  from  old  Kain- 
tuck." 

rf  What  makes  you  think  there  is  any  big  chief 
among  them  ?  " 

Ben  generally  talked  more  or  less  in  riddles.  The 
two  principal  chiefs  of  the  Apaches  in  this  section  at 
this  time  were  Cochise  and  Mangus  Colorado.  If 
there  was  any  big  chief  among  the  approaching 
horde  it  must  have  been  one  or  both  of  these. 

"  Buck  and  I  has  been  over  thar,  and  walked  more'n 
a  mile  down  the  cliff.  One  o'  the  scouts  tired  a  flint 
lock  at  us  ;  but  neither  on  us  got  hit.  We  left  the 
feller  lay  in'  on  the  ground ;  and  he  won't  git  up  till 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  311 

he's  picked  up.  We  got  on  a  hill,  and  I  reckon  we 
see  nigh  on  to  tew  hund'd  on  'em  windin'  up  the 
hill." 

"  Two  hundred  of  them.  There  were  more  than 
that  in  the  band  we  cleaned  out  this  morning  before 

o 

breakfast." 

:f  Them  is  further  over  towards  the  bluff.  I  reckon 
we  shall  have  the  whole  on  'em ;  and  that  will  make 
nigh  on  to  five  hundred.  We  seen  both  bands  on 
'em ;  and  they  reckon  on  makin'  things  hot  for  us." 

"  Perhaps  they  will  make  it  hot  for  us." 

This  account  of  the  approaching  force  gave  me 
some  uneasiness,  and  I  wished  Ben  had  erected  his 
battery  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Castle  Hill,  which 
would  have  placed  the  cafion  between  us  and  the 
enemy.  If  the  Apaches  attempted  to  ascend  Burial 
Hill,  we  could  clean  them  out  with  the  cannon  and 
grapeshot  or  shrapnel,  a  supply  of  both  of  which 
was  in  the  magazine  Ben  had  built. 

But  it  was  too  late  now  to  think  of  what  might 
have  been,  and  we  had  to  deal  only  with  what  was. 
I  had  no  doubt  that  Ben's  information  was  substan 
tially  correct.  I  reasoned  that  the  parties  who  had 
been  whipped  by  our  men  in  several  encounters  had 
reported  the  condition  of  things  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  ford  of  the  Gila.  This  large  force  had  come  to 
"  clean  us  out,"  and  open  the  way  to  the  plunder 
of  which  they  had  been  shut  out  by  our  prowess. 

I  thought  that  the  two  bands  were  to  meet  in  this 
vicinity.  The  one  we  had  beaten  in  the  morning 


312  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

had  arrived  a  day  ahead  of  the  other.  I  wondered 
what  they  had  been  doing  since  morning.  It  was 
possible  that  they  had  followed  the  long  wagon  train, 
and  had  succeeded  better  than  when  we  took  a  hand 
in  the  affray. 

rf  We  can't  do  nothin'  now,  jedge,  but  take  things 
as  they  are  ;  but  I  reckon  it  would  have  been  better 
if  we  had  put  the  battery  over  on  the  corner  of  the 
island,"  said  Ben,  after  he  had  given  me  the  particu 
lars  of  the  force  moving  down- upon  us.  "  But  these 
breastworks  won't  do  us  no  harm.  I've  got  four 
hosses  rigged  to  haul  the  guns  over  the  bridge,  if 
things  go  wrong  with  us.  Then  we  kin  drop  the 
bridge  into  the  canon,  and  fight  it  out  till  doomsday." 

"  I  see  'em  !  "  shouted  Buck  Sykes  from  the  bat 
tery. 

"Then  I  reckon  I'd  better  'tend  to  things,"  added 
Ben,  as  he  walked  away  from  me. 

I  found  a  place  between  the  boys,  behind  the 
breastwork.  All  the  force  were  provided  with  rifles 
or  muskets,  and  a  dozen  of  them  had  the  breech 
loaders.  Every  man  was  concealed  behind  the  earth 
work,  so  that  when  the  Indians  came  they  could  not 
see  a  single  combatant  on  our  side.  Ben  passed 
the  word  for  all  hands  to  keep  silence  when  the 
Indians  could  be  seen,  and  most  of  us  were  disposed 
to  do  so  before  they  appeared. 

"Don't  be  careless,  boys.  The  men  are  expected 
to  keep  out  of  sight,  and  it  is  not  a  big  thing  to 
expose  yourselves  to  danger  unnecessarily.  It  is 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  313 

better  to  come  out  of  the  fight  with  a  whole  skin 
than  get  a  reputation  for  courage  with  a  bullet-hole 
through  your  head  or  your  breast." 

"  I  am  willing  to  believe  all  that,  jeclge  ;  and  if  we 
are  going  to  be  nabobs  out  of  that  silver  mine  in  the 
canon  —  if  there  is  any  silver  mine  there  —  we  could 
not  enjoy  our  share  very  well  with  a  head,  or  even  a 
leg  or  arm  shot  off,"  replied  Ned. 

"That  is  sensible  ;  don't  you  think  so,  Hal?  " 

"  I  do,  judge  ;  but  I  like  to  see  a  fellow  have  pluck 
enough  to  keep  up  his  end  of  the  row  when  there  is 
any  dangerous  service  to  be  rendered,"  answered 
Hal. 

"  Every  man  in  the  camp  knows  that  both  of  you 
are  as  brave  as  lions,  for  you  have  proved  it ;  and  no 
one  will  think  any  more  of  you  for  uselessly  exposing 
yourselves." 

I  thought  the  boys  needed  this  caution,  for  they 
were  both  disposed  to  be  over-venturesome.  I  was 
afraid  Hal  would  feel  it  incumbent  upon  himself  to 
do  some  big  thing  in  order  to  win  the  praise  of 
Juanita.  I  was  glad  to  hear  him  talk  in  a  sensible 
manner.  He  had  wonderfully  improved  since  our 
bickerings  on  the  Colorado,  and  before  he  left  Buena 
Vista.  I  think  we  had  knocked  a  good  deal  of  his 
vanity  out  of  him,  but  without  injuring  his  self- 
respect. 

"  There  they  come  !  "  said  Ned,  in  a  whisper. 

Some  leafless  bushes  had  been  placed  on  the  top 
of  the  breastwork,  which  concealed  our  heads  when 


314  THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

they  were  partly  raised  from  those  at  a  distance, 
while  they  did  not  prevent  us  from  taking  good  aim 
through  the  branches.  I  looked  and  saw  about  a 
dozen  Apaches  dancing  down  the  hill  from  the  pond. 
They  were  on  foot,  and  started  at  their  swiftest  run 
towards  the  breastwork.  They  could  not  see  us,  but 
they  evidently  knew  we  were  there. 

As  they  approached  the  ford,  they  halted,  and 
discharged  their  guns  and  let  fly  their  arrows.  At 
about  the  same  instant  a  party  of  mounted  Indians 
dashed  up  the  hill  from  the  flat,  and  leaped  through 
the  river  at  the  ford.  Among  them  I  saw  the  young 
chief  who  wore  the  helmet. 

From  this  it  appeared  that  part  of  the  attacking 
force  were  to  come  up  from  the  flat.  At  this  moment 
Ben  discharged  his  long  rifle,  and  I  saw  the  helmed 
chief  tumble  from  his  horse.  This  event  produced  a 
yell  from  the  party  in  front  of  us,  which  was  taken 
up  by  the  rest  of  them  whom  we  could  not  see  ;  but 
it  sounded  as  though  myriads  were  joining  in  the 
hideous  cry. 

Two  of  the  Indians  on  foot  immediately  approached 
the  fallen  chief,  and  bore  him  into  the  shelter  of  the 
rocks  beyond  the  pond.  Ben's  shot  was  the  signal 
for  us  to  open,  and  we  began  to  fire  all  along  the 
breastwork.  The  enemy  dropped  before  the  well- 
aimed  guns  of  our  party,  and  it  looked  as  though 
one  half  of  them  had  bitten  the  dust  before  there 
was  any  general  movement  on  the  part  of  the  main 
body. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  315 

I  could  not  understand  the  stupidity  of  sending  out 
a  mere  handful  of  men  in  front  of  the  breastwork, 
if  they  knew  what  the  grassy  bank  was,  to  be  shot 
down,  unless  it  was  to  draw  our  fire,  and  show  where 
we  were.  They  could  not  see  us  any  better  than 
before,  but  they  could  not  help  knowing  where  we 
were.  With  our  breech-loaders  we  continued  to  fire 
with  great  rapidity.  They  might  as  well  have  left 
their  weapons  on  the  bluif,  for  they  were  as  useless 
in  their  hands  as  though  they  were  nothing  but  pine 
sticks. 

But  even  Apaches  could  not  stand  this  long.  The 
best  disciplined  soldiers  in  the  world  would  have  fled 
from  such  a  needless  sacrifice.  Suddenly  the  rem 
nant  of  the  skirmishers,  if  that  is  what  they  were, 
took  to  their  heels,  and  disappeared  beyond  the  pond. 
Beyond  this  point  was  an  opening,  and  we  could  see 
that  the  ground  was  covered  with  the  multitude  who 
were  to  take  part  in  the  assault. 

So  far  everything  had  worked  just  as  it  had  early 
in  the  morning.  I  hoped  they  would  see  that  it  was 
of  no  use  for  them  to  attempt  to  storm  our  works. 
But  there  came  a  yell  more  tremendous  than  the  one 
we  had  heard  before,  and  the  Indians  poured  down 
upon  the  open  space  in  front  of  the  battery.  We 
fired  into  them,  and  they  began  to  drop  as  before. 
But  it  was  like  killing  flies,  for  the  ground  in  front 
of  us  was  crowded  with  the  Apaches ;  the  mass 
reached  back  as  far  as  the  pond,  and  we  could  still 
see  them  in  the  opening  beyond. 


316  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

The  crowd  behind  forced  those  in  front  of  them 
forward,  and  it  looked  to  me  as  though  the  case  I 
had  supposed  to  Ben  was  about  to  be  realized.  The 
killed  and  wounded  were  piled  up  in  front  of  us,  but 
the  living  ones  were  pressed  forward,  so  that  there 
was  no  chance  to  retreat. 

"Fire  !  "  said  Ben  Cavendish  ;  and  the  first  of  the 
twelve-pounders  shook  the  hills  with  its  thundering 
report. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  SHOT  FROM  THE  TWELVE-POUNDER.  —  A 
PROSTRATE  BAND.  —  WHAT  THE  INDIANS  MAY  HAVE 
SUPPOSED.  —  BEN'S  REMARKS  ON  THE  SUBJECT.  —  BEN'S 
ORDER.  —  A  MURMURING  SOUND.  —  IT  BECOMES  A  YELL.  — 
WHAT  WE  OUGHT  TO  HAVE  DONE.  —  THE  KENTUCKIAN. 
ON  THE  MILITARY  SITUATION.  —  THE  APACHES  RENEW 
THE  FIRE.  —  HAL  WOUNDED.  —  THE  AMATEUR  SURGEON. 
—  THE  BOY'S  PLUCK.  —  INDIAN  TACTICS.  —  HAL'S  ONE- 
HAND  SHOT. 


report  of  the  twelve-pounder  seemed  very 
much  like  an  earthquake  to  me.  It  was  a  long 
time  since  I  had  heard  the  report  of  a  cannon,  and  it 
sounded  all  the  louder  to  me  for  this  reason.  We 
were  all,  friend  and  foe,  enveloped  in  smoke  ;  and  we 
had  no  means  of  knowing  yet  with  what  result  the 
great  gun  had  been  discharged. 

The  interest  which  the  firing  of  the  cannon  had 
caused  among  the  men  was  so  strong  that  they  ceased 
to  discharge  their  guns,  which  was  just  as  well,  since 
they  could  not  see  the  foe  to  take  aim  at  them.  The 
wind  was  from  the  south,  and  drove  the  smoke  upon 
the  battery,  so  that  we  were  the  last  to  have  a  clear 
air. 

317 


318  THE   YOUNG    SILVER   SEEKERS. 

"  I  don't  reckon  them  critters  will  want  more'n  one 
o'  them  shot,"  said  Ben,  while  we  were  waiting  to  see 
what  had  been  accomplished. 

"  I  hope  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  fire  the  other 
gun.  The  first  must  have  made  terrible  execution 
among  such  a  crowd." 

"  I  hope  not,  jedge ;  but  'twan't  no  use ;  they'd 
been  inside  the  breastwork  by  this  time  if  we  hadn't 
fired  it,"  added  Ben.  "  I  didn't  let  'em  have  it  afore 
I  seen  that  they  needed  it." 

"There  was  no  other  way  to  do,  Ben.  We  could 
have  held  our  own  against  any  reasonable  number 
of  them ;  but  when  they  came  by  hundreds  they 
would  have  overwhelmed  us.  They  will  get  used  to 
great  guns,  though,  and  I  should  not  care  to  risk 
another  battle.  The  smoke  is  clearing  aAvay." 

As  the  wind  wafted  the  smoke  away,  we  saw,  to 
our  intense  astonishment,  the  whole  pack  of  Indians 
lying  on  the  ground.  Some  of  them  were  there  from 
necessity,  for  the  shrapnel  had  made  fearful  havoc 
among  the  dense  crowd  huddled  together  in  front  of 
us.  But  all  of  them  could  not  have  been  killed  or 
wounded.  If  they  had  all  run  away,  it  would  have 
seemed  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  to  do. 
But  they  had  all  dropped  upon  the  ground  as  though 
every  individual  Indian  had  been  hit. 

I  glanced  at  the  region  beyond  the  ford  and  the 
pond,  where  I  had  seen  another  crowd,  the  reserve, 
if  they  had  military  skill  enough  to  understand  the 
need  of  a  reserve.  But  I  was  more  of  the  opinion 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  319 

that  they  were  in  the  rear  because  there  was  not  room 
for  them  on  the  peninsula.  All  this  crowd  were 
lying  on  the  ground  as  though  the  shrapnel  had  been 
delivered  into  their  midst. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  these  particular  Indians  had 
ever  seen  a  cannon  of  any  size,  or  heard  the  report 
of  one.  This  seemed  to  be  the  only  solution  of  the 
mystery  of  the  entire  prostration  of  the  enemy.  I 
think  if  white  men  who  had  never  heard  the  report 
of  a  cannon  while  standing  within  a  few  yards  of 
it  had  been  saluted  as  we  waked  up  the  Apaches, 
they  would  have  been  equally  terrified,  though  they 
might  not  demonstrate  in  just  the  manner  of  these 
savages. 

"  I  reckon  they  think  they  are  all  killed,"  said  Ben, 
as  we  were  waiting  for  the  next  move  of  the  enemy. 
"I  reckon  they'll  find  out  they  ain't  all  done  for." 

He  looked  at  the  other  twelve-pounder.  He  had 
told  me  before  that  it  was  loaded  with  a  shell.  This 
would  be  still  another  experience,  if  we  were  com 
pelled  to  fire  it.  But.  they  were  too  near  to  allow 
this  missile  to  be  used  with  the  greatest  effect.  Just 
then  one  of  the  men  at  the  end  of  the  line,  next  to 
Upper  River,  fired  his  gun.  An  Indian  in  the  act  of 
rising  was  seen  to  drop  back  again. 

"Hyer,  man,"  called  Ben.  "Don't  strike  a  man 
when  he's  down  ;  and  don't  shoot  an  Indian  when  he's 
on  the  ground.  Don't  fire  no  more  till  I  do." 

"  The  man  was  getting  up,"  replied  Linn  Hoover, 
who  had  fired  the  gun. 


320  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

"  Let  'em  git  up  ef  they  want  to.  Ef  they  don't 
behave  theirselves  arter  they  git  up  let  'em  have 
some  more,"  added  Ben. 

There  was  a  general  lifting  of  heads  about  this 
time  ;  and  it  was  not  so  long  a  time  as  the  reader  may 
suppose  by  the  space  the  description  has  required ; 
and  it  might  have  been  counted  in  seconds  rather 
than  minutes.  The  Apaches  looked  around  them  as 
they  lifted  their  heads.  Possibly  they  had  experi 
enced  an  earthquake ;  but  now  they  appeared  to 
think  the  end  of  the  world  had  come.  They  acted 
as  though  they  had  their  doubts  about  anything 
here  below.  We  watched  them  with  curiosity  and 
interest.  Perhaps  if  wre  had  opened  fire  upon 
them  with  our  small  arms  the  illusion  would  have 
been  destroyed,  and  they  would  have  renewed  the 
attack. 

I  doubt  whether  they  supposed  the  awful  report 
had  been  caused  by  us  ;  and  very  likely  they  thought 
we  were  as  much  paralyzed  by  the  noise  and  the 
shock  as  they  were.  The  fire  from  the  breastwork 
had  ceased,  and  the  inference  from  their  standpoint 
was  not  an  unreasonable  one. 

I  stated  my  views  and  suppositions  to  the  Ken- 
tuckian.  He  was  willing  to  believe  that  the  silence 
of  our  weapons  had  produced  this  eifect  upon  the 
Indians.  If  it  was  so,  they  would  be  likely  to  renew 
the  attack  as  soon  as  they  regained  their  self-posses 
sion.  I  did  not  like  the  result  of  my  own  reasoning. 
If  the  Apaches  regarded  the  explosion  as  a  freak  of 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  321 

nature,  like  an  earthquake,  or  a  water-spout,  we  had 
created  no  impression,  and  our  work  would  all  have 
to  be  done  over  again. 

While  we  were  thinking  about  it  with  this  new 
suggestion  before  us ,  some  of  the  Apaches  nearest  to 
the  earthwork  rose  to  their  feet,  they  looked  fur 
tively  around  them,  as  though  they  expected  some 
thing  dire  to  occur.  As  nothing  happened  to  them, 
and  another  explosion  did  not  follow,  the  others  took 
courage  and  got  up  also.  There  was  a  large  number 
who  could  not  get  up. 

Ben  Cavendish  was  about  to"  make  a  remark,  when 
all  at  once  the  whole  crowd  in  front  of  us  took  to  their 
heels,  as  with  one  impulse,  and  ran  with  all  their 
might  to  the  region  beyond  the  pond,  the  crowd 
there  falling  back  to  make  room  for  them.  Without 

o 

counting  them  I  judged  that  there  were  fifty  men  in 
front  of  the  battery  who  had  been  disabled  by  shrap 
nel  or  bullets.  Some  were  dead,  and  others  were 
writhing  with  pain.  We  all  stood  up  to  look  at 
them.  We  regarded  the  battle  as  ended  for  that 
day. 

A  confused  murmuring  sound  came  to  our  ears  from 
the  region  of  the  pond.  It  was  some  minutes  before 
we  could  make  out  what  it  was  ;  it  proved  to  be  but 
the  excited  conversation  of  the  Indians,  who  were 
doubtless  discussing  the  event  which  had  produced 
such  an  impression  upon  them.  I  would  have  given 
feomethino:  considerable  to  have  heard  and  understood 

o 

what  they  said  about  it,  for  it  would  have  aided  us  in 


322  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

our  arrangements  for  the  future.  We  could  not 
decide  whether  the  shock  was  attributed  to  us,  or 
whether  it  was  regarded  as  a  convulsion  of  nature 
which  had  produced  the  same  effect  upon  us  as  upon 
them. 

It  was  a  fact  that  they  had  run  away  from  their 
position  in  front  of  the  breastwork.  This  looked  as 
though  they  regarded  us  as  the  authors  of  the  noise 
and  commotion.  That  they  had  not  renewed  the 
attack  when  they  found  that  they  were  not  all  killed, 
was  another  reason  for  taking  the  other  view  of  the 
question.  We  were  unable  to  settle  the  question  by 
facts  and  logic,  and  we  patiently  waited  the  course 
of  events. 

As  time  placed  a  greater  gap  between  the  present 
and  the  great  event,  as  they  must  have  regarded  it, 
the  Apaches  became  more  demonstrative,  and  the 
conversation  to  which  we  had  been  listening  swelled 
into  yells.  Emile  Pont  and  the  other  gunners  had 
reloaded  the  piece  discharged  before  the  smoke 
cleared  away,  and  it  was  ready  for  use  again. 

"  I  reckon  they  hain't  got  enough  on't  yit,"  said 
Ben,  who  was  closely  watching  the  actions  of  the 
enemy.  "They  behave  jest  as  though  they  had  a 
good  deal  more  fight  in  'em.  I'm  right  sorry,  jedge, 
we  didn't  talk  more  about  the  position  of  the  guns, 
for  that  was  a  right  smart  idee  of  your'n  to  put  the 
pieces  over  on  the  island.  From  that  sou'east 
corner,  we  could  have  raked  them  awful  with  the 
artillery." 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  323 

"  I  think  so  now ;  and  believe  in  it  even  more 
strongly  than  at  first." 

"  We  could  use  the  breastwork  for  a  fence  to  keep 
the  hosses  in  and  have  it  for  the  infantry  as  long  as 
we  could  stand  it  thar.  Ef  wus  came  to  wus,  we 
could  have  retreated  from  the  works  to  the  island, 
and  knocked  the  bridge  away  behind  us.  Then  the 
critters  might  have  shoved  those  ahead  on  'em  into 
the  canon.  We  should  be  as  safe  over  thar  as  though 

o 

we  were  in  the  moon." 

Ben  had  enlarged  upon  my  idea,  and  I  fully 
approved  of  all  he  said.  Very  likely  we  could  have 
fought  the  battle  with  less  slaughter  than  in  our 
present  position.  While  we  were  discussing  this 
question  the  enemy  were  recovering  their  courage, 
and  the  first  thing  we  knew  Hal  was  struck  by  an 
arrow.  It  penetrated  the  fleshy  part  of  his  arm,  and 
stuck  in  the  wound  it  had  made.  He  was  the  first  of 
our  party  who  had  been  hit ;  and  the  accident  would 
not  have  occurred  at  this  time  if  he  had  not  been 
standing  up  watching  the  movements  of  the  Indians. 

"Never  mind  me,  judge,"  said  the  brave  boy,  as 
he  took  hold  of  the  arrow  with  his  hand  and  tried  to 
pull  it  out. 

"But  you  must  have  that  wound  attended  to  at 
once,  or  it  will  give  you  trouble." 

"Pull  out  the  arrer ;  that's  the  only  thing  to  do," 
said  Ben,  without  taking  his  eyes  off  of  what  he  was 
looking  at  outside  of  the  battery. 

Don  Ramon  said  he  had  seen  a  good  many  such 


324  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

wounds,  and  grasping  the  arm  of  Hal,  he  drew  the 
arrow  from  the  flesh,  though  it  was  all  that  Hal  could 
do  to  keep  from  crying  out  so  great  was  the  pain. 
As  the  missile  was  withdrawn  the  blood  spurted 
from  the  wound.  But  the  Mexican  amateur  surgeon 
was  ready  for  this,  and  tied  his  handkerchief  tightly 
around  the  wounded  arm. 

He  had  hardly  done  so  before  Ben  fired  his  long 
rifle.  I  had  been  so  anxious  about  Hal  that  I  had  not 
seen  what  was  going  on  in  front  of  us  for  a  few 
minutes.  The  Indians  were  wary,  and  were  resort 
ing  to  their  own  peculiar  tactics.  They  had  taken 
positions  behind  the  trees,  and  in  every  nook  and 
corner  that  would  afford  them  shelter  from  our 
bullets. 

"You  had  better  go  to  the  camp  at  the  castle, 
Hal,"  said  Don  Ramon.  "  Juanita  is  a  first-rate 
nurse,  and  she  will  dress  the  wound  as  well  as  any 
surgeon  could  do  it." 

"  No,  I  thank  you,"  replied  Hal,  as  he  picked  up 
his  double-barrelled  gun.  "I  am  not  going  to  leave 
the  field  while  there  is  anything  going  on." 

"  But  you  are  wounded  and  can  do  no  good  here," 
added  Don  Ramon. 

"  The  wound  is  in  my  left  arm,  and,  with  the 
breastwork  for  a  rest,  I  can  do  my  share  of  the 
work." 

The  brave  boy  refused  tv)  be  persuaded  to  leave 
the  battery.  I  saw  the  heads  of  a  couple  of  Apaches 
thrust  out  from  behind  a  bush  at  the  bend  of  the 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  325 

river  on  our  left,  and  I  was  about  to  fire,  when  he 
discharged  his  piece.  I  saw  an  Indian  leap  as  high 
as  the  top  of  the  bush,  and  then  fall  over  backwards 
down  the  precipice  into  the  river.  This  was  Hal's 
one-hand  shot. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

A  SHELL  FROM  NO.  2.  —  ITS  EFFECT  UPON  THE  INDIANS.  —  A 
THOROUGH  ROUT.  —  DEEPENING  THE  IMPRESSION.  —  A 
MARCH  ON  THE  BLUFF.  —  A  WEEK  OF  TRANQUILLITY.  — 
EXPLORING  THE  SILVER  MINE.  —  A  RICH  TREASURE. — 
EXAMINING  THE  COUNTRY.  —  ANOTHER  SILVER  MINE. — 
CAUGHT  IN  A  BAD  PLACE.  —  ASCENDING  THE  BLUFF.  —AN 
ALARM. —GREAT  GUNS  AGAIN.  — BEN  CAVENDISH  TO  THE 
RESCUE. — A  BOLD  PUSH. 

RECKON  tain't  no  use  to  fool  no  more  with  them 

critters,"  said  the  Kentuckian,  evidently  a  little 
mad  at  the  wound  Hal  received.  "  The  varmints  will 
stay  hyer  till  next  winter  ef  we  don't  send  'em  off, 
and  they  kin  stand  this  thing  as  long  as  we  kin,  ef 
they  kin  shoot  us  from  behind  the  trees  and  rocks. 
Run  out  No.  2,  Bridge." 

I  did  not  object.  We  could  not  uncover  the 
Indians  behind  the  trees  and  rocks  with  the  twelve- 
pounder,  but  we  could  make  them  lonesome  in  a 
short  time.  Ben  sighted  the  gun  himself,  while  Pont 
stood  at  the  lockstring.  He  had  brought  the  gun  to 
bear  upon  the  crowd  by  the  pond,  and  beyond  it. 

"  Fire  !  "  said  Ben,  quietly. 

Emile  Pont  pulled  the  lockstring,  and  the  roar  of 
the  gun  reverberated  among  the  mountains.  We 
326 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  327 

were  again  enveloped  in  smoke.  We  heard  the 
explosion  of  the  shell,  and  the  sound  came  from  the 
place  where  the  Indians  were  crowded  together,  just 
beyond  the  ford.  As  the  sulphurous  cloud  rolled 
away,  we  discovered  the  Apaches  running  with  all 
their  might  along  the  heights.  They  came  out  of 
their  hiding-places,  and  the  only  business  with  them 
just  then  seemed  to  be  to  get  as  far  as  possible  from 
the  battery  in  the  shortest  space  of  time. 

They  were  evidently  satisfied  by  this  time  that  we 
were  the  authors  of  the  tremendous  noise,  and  of  the 
execution  done  by  the  gun.  I  was  satisfied  from 
this  demonstration  that  they  considered  the  former 
discharge  of  the  cannon  as  an  earthquake,  or  some 
other  convulsion  of  nature,  which  was  as  terrifying 
and  damaging  to  us  as  it  was  to  them.  In  this  way 
they  probably  explained  our  silence  after  the  first 
shot. 

"Give  them  another,  Ben."  I  thought  if  we  deep 
ened  the  impression  produced  by  the  shell  it  would 
be  economy  of  life  in  the  end.  If  it  kept  them  away 
from  us,  the  sacrifice  would  be  less  than  if  they 
followed  up  the  attack  day  after  day  during  our  stay. 
The  Kentuckian  sent  another  shell  after  them,  which 
was  prepared  to  explode  after  a  longer  interval. 
When  it  burst  a  terrific  yell  came  to  us  from  the  hills. 
We  watched  the  retreating  horde  as  they  fled  along 
the  plateau.  They  did  not  stop  to  pick  up  their 
dead  and  wounded,  and  in  a  short  time  they  disap 
peared  among  the  rocks,  where  we  had  skirmished 


328  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

with  them  before  when  poor  Jerry  was  killed.  The 
mounted  men  led  the  way,  and  those  on  foot  followed 
at  a  scarcely  less  speed. 

"  I  reckon  they  won't  want  nothin'  more  to-day," 
said  Ben,  while  we  were  watching  the  retiring  foe. 
"  I  don't  reckon  they  will  come  this  way  agin  jest 
yet." 

"  I  think  it  will  be  well  to  follow  them  up  for  a 
while,  Ben." 

"  I  was  jest  thinkin'  o'  that.  If  Sile  will  get  out 
some  o'  the  hosses,  it  will  help  the  case  to  fire  them 
guns  over  on  the  hill  vender,"  added  Ben.  "  Them 
critters  think  this  thing  can't  be  done  nowhar  but 
right  hyer." 

Sile  Carter  hitched  a  couple  of  the  horses  to  each 
of  the  guns.  The  entire  party  then  marched  out  of 
the  battery,  and  moved  in  the  direction  the  enemy 
had  taken.  The  ground  was  strewn  with  the  dead 
and  wounded.  When  we  reached  the  spot  where  the 
shell  had  burst,  we  found  another  lot  who  had  been 
hit  by  the  fragments  of  the  destructive  missile.  We 
continued  the  pursuit  for  an  hour,  but  we  saw  noth 
ing  more  of  the  Apaches. 

I  had  no  doubt  they  were  moving  towards  the 
village  we  had  seen,  and,  taking  the  guns  upon  a  hill, 
we  discharged  them  with  shell  in  the  direction  they 
had  taken.  The  hills  rang  with  the  report  of  the 
pieces,  and  though  we  could  not  see  any  Indians,  we 
were  very  sure  that  all  within  five  miles  could  hear 
the  noise  we  made.  We  returned  to  the  camp. 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  329 

*  Do  you  think  that  will  be  the  end  of  our  fights 
with  the  Apaches,  Ben?  Will  the  discipline  they 
have  had  satisfy  them  ?  " 

"  I  reckon  that  ain't  the  eend  on't.  Them  critters 
will  get  used  to  great  guns  arter  a  while,  jest  the 
same  as  anybody  does.  But  they  won't  bother  us 
any  more  jest  now,"  replied  the  Kentuckian. 

"What  will  they  do  next?" 

"  They'll  be  sneakin'  round  hyer  from  this  out,  and 
when  they  kin  kotch  a  man  or  a  hoss  outside  of  the 
camp  they'll  take  keer  on  him.  I  reckon  we've  got 
to  keep  our  eyes  peeled  all  the  time,  night  and  day.'' 

All  hands  went  to  work  on  the  new  battery  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  Castle  Hill,  and  before  night  we 
had  the  guns  in  position  to  repel  an  attack  if  any  was 
made.  We  kept  a  guard  at  the  old  battery,  and  that 
was  where  we  were  to  meet  in  case  the  Indians 
appeared  again.  From  the  island  battery  we  could 
rake  the  spot  \vhere  the  Indians  would  approach 
the  hill  on  which  our  horses  were  pastured. 

The  next  day  we  explored  the  cave  in  the  side  of 
the  canon.  Don  Ramon  was  confident  that  we  had 
found  a  very  valuable  silver-mine  :  and  we  continued 
our  examination  until  we  had  obtained  abundant 
evidence  of  the  fact.  We  procured  many  valuable 
specimens  of  the  quality  of  the  ore,  and  not  a  few 
lumps  of  the  pure  metal. 

We  could  not  carry  our  investigations  so  far  as  we 
desired,  for  it  was  necessary  to  conceal  our  operations 
from  the  men.  But  we  had  all  the  evidence  we 


330  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

needed,  and  the  future  fully  justified  our  opinions  in 
regard  to  the  value  of  the  mine.  Whether  it  was  an 
old  or  a  new  one  made  no  difference  to  us. 

Our  mission  was  really  accomplished,  and  we  were 
ready  to  continue  our  journey  into  Chihuahua ;  but 
we  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  leaye  in  the  present 
unsettled  condition  of  the  country.  The  Apaches, 
Don  Ramon  had  learned,  were  doing  a  great  deal  of 
mischief.  Those  we  had  beaten  off  would  never  rest 
until  they  had  revenged  their  repeated  defeats  at  our 
hands. 

It  was  our  position  quite  as  much  as  the  guns 
which  had  given  us  the  success  we  had  obtained ; 
and  we  could  not  get  out  of  this  region  without 
exposing  ourselves  to  many  perils.  Traps  and  snares 
would  be  set  for  us  when  we  undertook  to  move. 
We  had  plenty  of  provisions,  and  the  feed  for  the 
horses  could  not  have  been  better.  For  a  week  we 
hunted  and  fished,  and  explored  the  neighborhood  of 
Castle  Hill. 

Not  far  from  the  spot  where  Jerry  had  fallen  we 
found  strong  indications  of  silver,  though  it  was  not 
as  promising  as  the  mine  in  the  canon.  We  saw  no 
Indians,  and  we  had  the  groves  all  to  ourselves.  But 
this  tranquil  state  of  things  was  not  to  last. 

Just  after  breakfast  one  day,  while  I  was  walking 
with  the  boys  near  the  projecting  cliff,  half  a  mile 
from  the  outer  battery,  as  we  called  the  one  where 
we  had  fought  our  battle,  we  heard  the  blast  of  the 
sentinel's  horn.  This  was  the  danger  call. 


THE   YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  331 

"Do  you  see  anything,  Ned?" 
"  I  do,"  replied  Ned,  with  no  little  excitement  in 
his  manner.     "  The  Indians  are  pouring  up  the  side 
of  the  cliff  on  Upper  River !  " 

We  were  in  a  bad  box;  for  our  retreat  to  the 
castle  was  cut  off.  The  water  had  fallen  consider 
ably  since  we  came  into  the  locality.  I  had  noticed 
a  place  a  few  rods  from  the  earthworks  where  I 
thought  an  ascent  of  the  bluff  could  be  made  at  low 
water.  But  I  had  not  concerned  myself  about  it,  for 
the  place  was  outside  of  our  lines.  It  was  a  kind 
of  descending  shelf,  though  it  was  not  wide  enough 
for  two  persons  to  stand  abreast  upon  it.  There  was 
a  break  in  it  which  I  thought  must  render  it  impass 
able  to  the  enemy. 

As  I  could  not  see  that  anything  was  to  be  gained 
by  the  enemy  if  they  used  this  possible  means  of 
reaching  the  ground  in  front  of  the  old  battery,  I 
had  given  but  little  attention  to  it.  Even  now,  it 
looked  as  though  the  boys  and  myself  were  to  be  the 
only  sufferers  by  the  approach  in  this  direction.  We 
had  been  caught  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  battery. 

The  Apaches  were  crowding  one  another  up  the 
steep  path,  but  they  could  move  only  in  single  file. 
Our  position  on  the  projecting  bluff  enabled  us  to  see 
all  that  was  done  on  Castle  Hill,  and  on  Burial  Hill. 
Our  men  were  rushing  to  the  outside  battery,  except 
the  gunners,  who  repaired  to  the  new  works  on  the 
island. 

"What  shall  we  do,  boys  ?    We  haven't  a  ghost  of 


332  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

a  chance  to  got  back  into  the  battery  while  the 
Apaches  are  in  possession  of  the  ground  in  front 
of  it." 

"  Ben  will  soon  clean  them  out,"  replied  Ned,  as 
he  examined  the  lock  of  his  gun. 

"But  if  they  retreat  in  this  direction,  as  they  are 
likely  to  do,  we  can't  take  care  of  the  whole  of 
them." 

"We  must  let  Ben  Cavendish  see  that  we  are  here," 
said  Ned.  "  He  will  look  out  for  us  then." 

"  If  we  make  any  signals  to  attract  the  attention 
of  those  iii  the  batteries,  we  shall  notify  the  Indians 
that  we  are  here  at  the  same  time." 

"I  think  we  might  as  well  begin  to  reduce  the 
number  of  Apaches  at  once,"  added  Hal,  as  he  raised 
his  gun. 

"  Don't  fire,  Hal.  That  will  only  let  the  villains 
know  that  we  are  here.  They  may  not  see  us,  for 
they  are  too  busy  watching  the  battery." 

"  The  only  way  w^e  can  get  out  of  the  scrape  is  to 
run  for  the  ford  or  go  around  through  the  canon, 
three  miles  down,"  added  Hal. 

"  Very  likely  there  is  a  force  of  Apaches  approach 
ing  in  this  direction,"  suggested  Ned. 

At  this  moment  one  of  the  twelve-pounders  waked 
the  echoes  of  the  hills,  and  a  great  cloud  of  smoke 
rolled  in  between  us  and  the  castle.  The  Indians 
were  waiting  till  they  had  enough  up  the  path  to 
make  an  attack  on  the  battery.  Probably  they  had 
discovered  that  the  great  guns  had  been  removed 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  333 

from  the  earthworks  in  front  of  them.  But  the  guns 
were  in  position  to  do  them  vastly  more  damage  now 
than  before. 

The  smoke  rolled  away,  and  we  discovered  that 
the  Indians  had  retreated.  Half  a  dozen  of  them 
lay  on  the  ground  in  front  of  the  battery ;  but  the 
gun  was  too  much  for  them.  As  Ned  suggested,  some 
of  the  Indians  had  retreated  towards  the  plateau,  and 
I  saw  five  of  them  standing  on  the  bluff  by  the  pond. 
They  were  looking  at  the  battery,  and  so  far  they 
had  not  seen  us.  We  concluded  that  it  would  be 
prudent  for  us  to  lie  down,  and  we  did  so. 

"Ben  has  seen  us  !  "  exclaimed  Hal,  with  his  gaze 
fixed  on  the  outside  battery. 

I  looked  and  saw  the  Kentuckian,  followed  by  ten 
of  the  hunters,  leap  over  the  earthwork,  and  move 
towards  the  ford.  We  afterwards  learned  that  Buck 
Sykes  had  seen  us  on  the  projecting  cliff,  and  had 
notified  Ben  of  the  fact.  As  Ben  came  out  of  the 
battery,  I  saw  a  man  run  over  the  bridge,  and  hasten 
to  the  island  works. 

Ben  and  his  party  had  no  sooner  appeared  outside 
of  the  battery  than  the  Indians  who  had  concealed 
themselves  rushed  towards  them.  He  and  his  little 
band  fired  upon  them,  and  then  rushed  towards  the 
pond.  As  soon  as  they  were  out  of  the  way,  and  the 
Apaches  were  gathering  for  another  strike,  the  second 
twelve-pounder  sent  a  shrapnel  in  among  them.  The 
Indians  over  the  pond  bent  their  bows.  Before  they 
could  draw  them  the  boys  and  I  fired  into  them. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

APPROACHING  THE  CAMP. — THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  GREAT 
GUNS.  —  BEN  OPENS  FIRE.  —  THE  INDIANS  IN  THE  STEEP 
PATH. — A  HIDEOUS  YELL  IN  THE  BEAR.  —  SWARMS  OF 
APACHES.  —  AN  ORGANIZED  ATTACK. — A  BOLT  FOR  THE 
BATTERY. — NED  WOUNDED.  —  A  HIT  IN  THE  HEAD. — 
THE  ISLAND  BATTERY  AT  WORK. — A  STANDING  ORDER. 

—  ANOTHER   HASTY   RETREAT. — THE    FAIK  NURSE. — OUR 
MISSION   ACCOMPLISHED.  —  A    START.  —  ANOTHER    ATTACK 
AND  «A    ROUT.  —  ON    THE     SOUTHERN     TRAIL. — THE   LAST 
ASSAULT. — THE   CAVALRY   SQUADRON. — IN     CHIHUAHUA. 

—  THE  RETURN  TO   BUENA  VISTA.  —  CONCLUSION. 

T  FIRED  first,  and  one  of  the  five  Indians  over  the 
pond  fell.  Hal  and  Ned  fired  at  the  same  instant 
and  another  of  them  dropped.  They  looked  behind 
them,  and  then  the  three  ran  in  the  direction  of  the 
projecting  rock.  We  all  had  double-barrelled  guns. 
We  could  deliver  three  more  shots.  By  this  time 
Ben  Cavendish  saw  how  the  case  was,  and  firing  his 
long  rifle,  another  of  the  five  fell. 

The  other  two  halted,  and  looked  behind  them. 
They  saw  the  Kentuckian  following  them,  with  his 
companions.  Several  of  the  men  had  aimed  their 
guns  at  them.  Suddenly  they  broke  away,  and  ran 
at  the  top  of  their  speed  for  the  rocks  on  the  other 
side  of  the  trail. 
334 


THE    YOUNG   SILVER    SEEKERS.  335 

"I  reckon  you  hain't  got  no  time  to  lose,  jedge," 
shouted  Ben,  as  he  glanced  at  the  state  of  things  in 
front  of  the  battery. 

We  hastened  to  him  and  his  party ;  and  the  next 
thing  was  to  get  back  into  the  camp.  The  discharge 
of  the  cannon  had  certainly  not  produced  the  same 
effect  as  before,  though  the  Indians  were  not 
yet  sufficiently  trained  to  this  sort  of  warfare  to 
stand  up  against  shrapnel  and  shells.  They  had 
retreated  at  the  first  fire,  but  they  Avere  gathering 
again. 

We  felt  comparatively  safe  now  that  we  had  joined 
the  party  which  had  come  to  our  relief.  The  Apaches 
were  still  climbing  the  difficult  path  from  Upper  Kiver, 
though  their  progress  had  been  checked  by  the  first 
gun  from  the  island  battery.  There  was  now  about 
twenty  gathered  in  front  of  the  earthworks,  and  their 
number  was  increasing  every  minute,  as  more  came 
up  the  steep  ascent.  Of  course  they  would  not 
permit  us  to  pass  unharmed  in  front  of  them  into  the 
camp. 

Ben  conducted  us  to  a  position  by  the  pond,  where 
we  halted.  The  Apaches  in  front  of  the  battery  paid 
no  attention  to  us ;  they  were  too  intent  upon  the 
plunder  of  our  cainp  to  look  in  any  other  direction. 
The  men  who  remained  behind  the  earthworks  opened 
fire  upon  the  enemy. 

"  I  reckon  we  mought  as  well  do  our  share  in  this 
work,"  said  Ben,  as  he  raised  his  rifle  and  fired. 
"  There  won't  be  any  less  on  'em  till  we  make  'em  less. 


336  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

Take  good  aim,  boys,  and  knock  'em  over  as  they 
come  up." 

Ben  had  done  this  himself,  for  the  instant  he  fired 
the  Indian  who  was  landing  from  the  path  dropped 
back  upon  those  behind  him.  His  fall  seemed  to 
derange  the  order  of  the  march,  for  we  heard  a  great 
deal  of  shouting,  and  probably  the  man  fell  on  the 
others  who  were  ascending.  For  a  little  time  no 
more  wrere  added  to  the  number  in  front  of  the 
battery. 

"  That  worked  well,  Ben.  We  will  follow  it  up." 
But  I  could  see  no  new-comer  to  aim  at. 

While  we  were  looking  for  our  chance  we  heard 

O 

the  most  tremendous  yelling  behind  us  that  had  yet 
greeted  our  ears.  I  judged  from  the  sound  that  it 
must  have  been  made  by  hundreds  of  the  enemy,  for 
it  seemed  to  come  from  a  considerable  area,  instead 
of  being  concentrated  in  one  spot. 

"Thar  they  come  by  the  million,"  said  Ben,  as  he 
took  a  survey  of  the  country  behind  us.  "I  reckon 
we  must  git  up  and  git  for  we  are  atwixt  tew  fires. 
What  on  airth  is  Buck  Sykes  doin'  ?  He  ought  to 
clear  the  way  for  us,  as  I  told  him  to  do  when  he  saw 
we  were  ready  to  come  in.  Thar  !  he's  at  it." 

The  last  remark  was  called  forth  by  the  discharge 
of  one  of  the  guns  in  the  island  battery.  The  yelling 
in  our  rear  continued  and  increased  in  volume  and 
nearness.  We  began  to  understand  that  this  was  an 
organized  attack,  and  that  the  party  which  had  come 
up  from  the  river  was  only  a  sort  of  line  of  skir- 


THE    YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  337 

mishers,  to  prepare    the  way  for  the  real  attacking 
force,  which  was  to  come  down  from  the  plateau. 

"  Now  bolt  for  the  camp  !  "  shouted  Ben,  the  in 
stant  the  gun  had  been  discharged,  and  the  smoke 
was  rolling  along  the  space  occupied  by  the  enemy. 
"  Do  it  in  a  hurry." 

The  Kentuckian  led  the  way,  and  we  followed  him 
as  fast  as  we  could,  though  his  long  legs  gave  him  an 
immense  advantage  over  us.  I  kept  the  boys  in 
front  of  me,  for  I  was  very  much  concerned  about 
their  safety.  I  was  leaping  over  the  body  of  a 
writhing  Indian  who  had  been  struck  by  the  scatter 
ing  missiles  in  the  shrapnel,  when  I  saw  Ned  pitch 
forward,  and  fall  upon  the  ground.  My  heart  was  in 
my  mouth,  but  I  picked  the  boy  up,  and  carried  him 
in  my  arms  over  the  breastwork  without  waiting  to 
see  where  he  was  hit. 

I  laid  him  on  the  ground,  and  I  saw  that  there  was 
blood  on  his  head.  Suddenly  he  sprang  to  his  feet  as 
though  he  was  ashamed  of  giving  up  while  there  was 
any  life  left  in  him.  He  put  his  hand  to  his  head, 
and  I  saw  that  the  blood  was  flowing  freely  from  a 
wound  just  over  his  right  ear.  He  took  out  his 
handkerchief,  and  tied  it  around  his  head  before  I  had 
time  to  say  or  do  anything. 

K  I'm  all  right,  judge  !  "  exclaimed  he,  as  he  began 
to  unsling  his  breech-loader,  for  he  had  lost  his 
double-barrelled  gun  in  his  fall.  "I  was  hit  by 
something,  but  it  wasn't  a  bullet  or  an  arrow." 

"Hyer,  jedge?  We  want  every  shot  now  !  "   called 


338  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

Ben,  when  he  saw  that  Ned  wasn't  killed.  "We 
hain't  got  no  time  to  bury  dead  men." 

"  See  them  pouring  down  from  the  plateau  !  "  said 
Ned,  as  he  ran  to  his  station  at  the  breastwork. 

The  ground  was  covered  with  Indians  as  far  as  we 
could  see,  though  that  was  not  far.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  Ben  Cavendish  had  his  doubts  in  regard  to  the 
result  of  the  engagement.  The  enemy  exhibited  a 
determination  they  had  not  shown  before,  and  were 
crowding  with  all  their  might  towards  the  breastwork. 
Our  men  fired  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and  the  Indians 
were  dropping  in  front  of  us  at  every  shot. 

The  island  battery  was  separated  from  us  only  by 
the  canon,  and  when  the  space  in  front  of  us  was 
crowded  with  the  enemy  Ben  called  to  Buck  Sykes 
to  keep  up  a  steady  fire.  Both  of  the  twelve- 
pounders  were  discharged  as  soon  as  he  gave  the 
order.  A  horrible  yell  rent  the  air  as  the  smoke 
rolled  across  the  canon,  and  enveloped  the  savages  in 
its  folds. 

"  Hold  your  fire  !  "  called  Ben.  "  'Tain't  no  use  to 
fire  when  you  can't  see  nothin'.  Keep  your  eyes 
peeled,  and  don't  let  'em  git  over  the  battery."  As 
the  smoke  passed  away  from  the  front  of  us  we  saw 
that  the  foe  had  retired,  those  who  were  able  to  do 
so,  but  a  large  number  of  them  were  lying  on  the 
ground  dead  or  wounded. 

Buck  obeyed  his  orders  to  the  letter,  and  he  and 
Ernile  Pont,  with  the  assistance  of  the  vaqueros  who 
had  been  trained  to  assist  them,  wheeled  the  guns  so 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  339 

as  to  cover  the  ground  beyond  the  ford.  They  fired 
again,  and  again  the  Indians  retreated,  unable  to 
stand  up  against  the  fearful  destruction  caused  by  the 
shrapnel.  Another  shot,  and  the  shell  burst  in  the 
midst  of  the  fleeing  foe.  Ben  did  not  interfere  with 
the  work  of  the  island  battery,  and  Buck  continued 
to  send  shells  after  the  retreating  Apaches  until  not 
one  could  be  seen. 

It  was  clear  that  our  work  for  that  day,  if -not  for 
the  rest  of  our  stay  at  Castle  Hill,  was  done.  It  had 
plainly  been  the  intention  of  the  Indians  to  rush  over 
the  breastwork,  and  gain  possession  of  the  camp. 
If  they  had  succeeded,  not  one  of  our  number  would 
have  been  left  alive  to  tell  the  story. 

"  How  is  your  head,  Ned  ?  " 

"It  feels  pretty  sore,"  replied  the  brave  boy,  who 
had  not  flinched  during  the  action. 

I  found  that  he  was  very  pale,  and  I  conducted 
him  to  our  quarters.  Juanita  came  to  his  aid  at  once, 
and  washed  the  blood  from  his  head  as  skilfully  as  a 
surgeon  could  have  done  it.  The  wound  looked  as 
though  it  had  been  inflicted  with  a  stone,  or  possibly 
by  a  blunted  arrow.  The  Mexican  maiden  dressed 
the  wound,  applying  some  salve  she  carried  with  her. 
Ned  declared  that  it  felt  better  at  once, but  this  was  a 
compliment  to  the  skill  of  the  fair  nurse,  for  at  night 
he  was  feverish  and  delirious. 

Hal  had  almost  entirely  recovered  from  his  arrow- 
wound  under  the  skilful  treatment  of  Juanita ;  but 
his  was  only  a  flesh- wound,  and  he  had  the  iuspira- 


340  THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS. 

tion  of  the  fair  girl  to  aid  him.  After  we  had 
attended  to  the  wounded  —  and  Ned  was  not  the  only 
one,  for  three  of  the  men  had  been  hit  by  arrows — we 
went  out  of  the  battery  to  take  a  survey  of  the  scene 
of  the  conflict.  Two-thirds  of  those  on  the  ground 
were  only  wounded,  and  we  had  seen  several  of  them 
limping  away  in  the  direction  taken  by  the  main 
body.  We  had  buried  the  dead  left  after  the  former 
engagement,  and  we  did  the  same  in  this  instance. 
We  put  the  wounded  into  one  of  our  wagons  and 
hauled  them  a  considerable  distance  in  the  direction 
of  the  Apache  village.  We  left  them  near  a  brook 
that  flowed  into  the  canon  we  had  passed  through ; 
and  the  next  day  we  found  that  their  friends  had 
taken  them  awray. 

The  next  day  Ned  was  clear-headed,  but  he  suffered 
a  great  deal  of  pain,  and  Juanita  insisted  that  he 
should  not  leave  his  bed  in  the  caravel.  But  good 
care  restored  him  in  a  week,  and  at  the  end  of  two 
weeks  he  was  as  good  as  new. 

The  time  began  to  pass  monotonously  on  our  hands, 
and  after  we  had  been  five  weeks  at  Castle  Hill  we 
decided  to  resume  our  march.  We  had  accomplished 
the  purpose  for  which  we  came.  Don  Ramon  was 
anxious  to  return  to  his  home  and  look  after  his 
affairs,  for  he  had  already  exceeded  the  time  he  meant 
to  be  absent.  On  the  high  ground  the  feed  and  the 
water  were  getting  rather  scanty.  We  made  our 
preparation  for  the  departure. 

When  we  crossed  the  canon  we  dropped  the  mate- 


THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS.  341 

rial  of  which  the  bridge  had  been  built  into  the 
chasm.  During  the  last  days  of  our  stay  I  had 
superintended  the  building  of  a  platform  at  each  end 
of  the  caravel,  whereon  were  mounted  the  two 
twelve-pounders.  They  were  lashed  in  such  a  way 
that  they  were  not  disturbed  by  the  motion  of  the 
caravel.  Our  stock  of  provisions  had  been  so  far 
reduced  that  we  could  spare  the  space. 

As  Ben  had  predicted,  we  had  hardly  passed  out 
of  our  strong  position  before  we  were  conscious  that 
the  Apaches  were  hovering  about  us.  When  we 
entered  the  ford  of  the  Giia,  they  made  an  attack 
upon  us ;  but  a  couple  of  shots  from  the  twelve- 
pounder  in  the  rear  end  of  the  caravel  routed  the 
foe ;  and  they  discovered  that  the  w  big  thunder  " 
went  with  us  wherever  we  went. 

We  had  no  further  trouble  from  Indians  in  this 
vicinity.  But  when  we  struck  the  southern  trail  we 
found  that  the  Apaches  were  doing  a  vast  deal  of 
mischief.  One  day  a  large  band  of  them  came  down 
upon  us.  We  halted,  and  loaded  up  the  great  guns, 
and  as  they  swept  down  upon  us  we  poured  a  charge 
of  shrapnel  into  them.  But  these  Apaches  had 
evidently  seen  and  heard  great  guns  before.  They 
did  not  like  them,  but  being  mounted  they  retreated 
a  short  distance,  and  seemed  to  be  gathering  up  for 
another  onslaught,  when  a  cloud  of  dust  indicated 
the  approach  of  another  party  of  mounted  men. 

Ben  loaded  one  of  the  guns  with  a  shell,  and  let 
them  have  that.  He  saw  two  of  the  riders  fall  from 


342  THE    YOUNG    SILVER    SEEKERS. 

their  horses.  Suddenly  they  wheeled  and  dashed 
off  at  a  furious  speed.  As  the  other  party  drew 
near  we  were  delighted  to  see  that  it  was  a  squad 
ron  of  United  States  cavalry.  The  lieutenant  in 
command  was  amazed  at  the  report  of  artillery  ;  and 
then  told  us  that  a  portion  of  his  command  had  had 
their  horses  stampeded  the  night  before  by  the  band 
who  had  attacked  us.  He  could  not  stay  for  a  long 
parley,  and  they  dashed  off  in  pursuit  of  the  Indians, 
who  were  still  in  sight. 

Our  route  now  lay  to  the  southward ;  and  these 
were  the  last  Indians  we  saw.  A  week  later  we 
were  in  the  city  of  Chihuahua,  where  we  spent  a 
week.  It  was  useless  to  attempt  to  do  anything 
with  the  silver  mine  while  the  country  was  in  such  a 
disturbed  state. 

Hal  was  not  disposed  to  return  to  Buena  Vista  at 
first.  He  was  too  fond  of  the  society  of  Juanita  to 
be  content  to  take  to  the  trail  again.  But  Hal  was  a 
different  boy  from  what  he  had  been  when  we  set  out 
in  search  of  the  silver  mine.  He  had  been  wounded, 
and  as  he  was  always  plucky,  he  soon  became  as 
great  a  favorite  among  the  men  as  Ned  was. 

On  our  return  we  were  encountered  by  one  large 
band  of  Apaches.  They  were  not  frightened  off  by 
our  guns,  and  we  retreated  to  the  caravel,  where  we 
fired  upon  them  in  safety  ourselves  with  the  small 
arms,  while  the  twelve-pounders  blazed  away  at  them 
until  they  could  stand  it  no  longer.  We  kept  them 
so  far  from  us  that  we  did  not  even  lose  a  horse. 


THE   YOUNG   SILVER   SEEKERS.  343 

We  crossed  several  rivers  in  the  caravel,  and  those 
who  had  laughed  the  loudest  at  it  in  the  beginning 
were  the  warmest  in  its  praise  in  the  end.  We  wrere 
cordially  greeted  on  our  return  to  Buena  Vista  by 
Captain  Wilkinson.  In  a  few  days  everything  was 
moving  in  its  ordinary  channel  at  the  ranch. 

I  persuaded  Ben  Cavendish  to  take  a  ranch  and 
try  to  lead  a  civilized  life.  Pie  wras  my  neighbor  as 
long  as  I  remained  in  California,  and  for  aught  I  know 
he  is  still  there.  The  hunters  scattered  when  our 
mission  was  accomplished,  and  I  have  no  means  of 
knowing  what  became  of  them.  Sile  Carter  remained 
on  the  ranch,  and  became  its  proprietor  when  I  left. 

For  various  reasons  we  did  not  attempt  to  work 
the  mine  we  had  discovered  for  several  years.  Then 
we  formed  a  stock  company ;  and  though  the  boys 
prefer  to  remain  in  California,  Hal  soon  went  back  to 
Chihuahua,  and  Juanita  became  his  wife,  as  I  have 
stated  before.  The  mine  yields  a  handsome  income, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  the  boys  will  be  able  to  live  in 
an  eastern  city  when  they  tire  of  California. 


ELECTROTYPE!)  AT  THE 

BOSTON  STEREOTYPE  FOUNDRY, 

NO.  4  PEARL  STREET. 


YOUNG  FOLKS'  TROPHIES  OF  TRAVEL. 


OUR  BOYS  IN  INDIA: 

The   Wanderings  of  two  Young  Americans  in  Hindostan, 

with  their  exciting  adventures  on  the  Sacred  Rivers 

and  Wild  Mountains. 

BY  HARRY  W.  FRENCH, 

Author  of  "  Castle  Foam,"  "  Ego,"  "  Nuna  the  Bramin  Girl,"  "  Gems 

of  Genius,"  etc. 
With  145  illustrations.     Royal  Octavo,  7x91-2  inches.     Bound  in  emblematical 

covers  of  Oriental  design,  $1.75.  Cloth,  black  and  gold,  $2.50. 
The  great  Indian  Empire  is  the  champion  land  for  romance  and  adventure. 
In  this  story  a  little  Yankee  lad  is  kidnapped  from  his  home.  By  the  aid  of  a 
detective,  an  older  brother,  a  lad  of  16  years,  traces  him  to  India.  The  adventures 
of  the  two,  one  as  a  captive,  the  other  as  a  rescuer,  in  different  parts  of  the  empire, 
are  thrilling,  dealing  as  they  do  with  the  Natives,  the  Snake  Charmers  and  Jug 
glers,  Royal  Personages  and  Mountaineers,  Tiger  Hunts,  Elephant  and  Rhinoceros 
Fights.  The  descriptions  of  Scenery,  Customs  and  Wonders  are  graphic  and 
instructive.  Many  of  the  illustrations  are  from  special  photographs  taken  for  the 
author  while  in  India. 

DRIFTING  ROUND  THE  WORLD; 

A  BOY'S  ADVENTURES  BY  SEA  AND  LAND. 

BY  CAPT.  CHARLES  W.  HALL. 

Author  of  "Adrift  in  the  Ice-fields,"  "The  Great  Bonanza,"  etc.  With  numer 
ous  full-page  and  letter-press  illustrations.  Royal  Octavo,  of  which  new  editions 
are  now  ready.  Handsome  cover,  $i  75.  Cloth,  gilt,  $2.50. 

If  a  handsomer  or  more  enjoyable  book  for  boys  has  been  issued,  or  is  yet  to 
issue,  from  the  press  in  time  for  Christmas,  we  would  like  to  see  it.  Rob  Randall 
is  the  name  of  the  boy  whose  adventures  form  the  material  for  this  story.  Rob, 
like  many  another  boy  of  his  years,  has  a  hankering  after  travel,  and  he  is  des 
tined  to  get  his  fill  of  it.  He  ships  on  board  a  schooner  bound  to  Greenland,  is  ship 
wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Labrador,  visits  Iceland,  skips  down  to  and  through 
Scotland,  England  France,  Holland,  Russia,  Asia,  and  heaven  knows  where  else 
besides,  until,  having  travelled  this  wide  world  all  over,  he  lights  in  at  last  at  San 
Francisco,  and  finally  brings  up  at  his  place  of  beginning  —  the  little  village  of 
Stonehaven,  on  the  coast  of  New  England.  Rob,  in  one  respect,  is  like  Japhet 
that  Captain  Marryatt  has  written  about  —  he  was  off  on  these  travels  of  his  in 
search  of  his  father.  The  book  is  full  of  information,  and  is  written  in  a  style  that 
cannot  fail  to  command  the  attention  of  its  readers.  The  scenes  which  it  portrays 
are  illustrated  by  200  beautiful  pictures. — Pittsburg  Times. 

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YOUNG  FOLKS'  TROPHIES  OF  TRAVEL. 


With  the  Young  Americans  in  the  Land  of  the  Rising  Sun. 

i  cm  OF  rain ; 

OR, 

The  Further  Adventures  of  the  Jeiett  Family  and  their 
Friend  Oto  Nambo. 

BY    EDWARD    GREEY. 

Author  of  "  Young  Americans  in  Japan,"  "  The  Golden  Lotus,"  etc.  With  one 
hundred  and  sixty-nine  illustrations.  Royal  Octavo,  7x9  i-a  inches,  with  cover 
in  gold  and  colors,  designed  by  the  author,  $1.75.  Cloth,  black  and  gold,  $2.50. 

In  the  great  city  of  the  great  Empire  of  Japan,  which  the  Japanese  themselves 
call  wonderful,  the  Young  Americans  find  new  cause  for  wonder  at  the  strange 
customs  and  curious  sights.  Under  the  guidance  of  "  Oto  Nambo,"  their  staunch 
friend,  they  assist  at  a  fire,  dine  at  Tokio  restaurants,  are  entertained  by  Amateur 
performers,  visit  all  the  points  of  interest,  and  meet  with  many  adventures;  but 
the  most  interesting  part  of  the  book  to  American  boys  will  be  the  visits  to  and 
descriptions  of  the  different  trades,  many  of  which  are  illustrated,  and  all  of  which 
are  described,  from  the  "  seller  of  folded  fans  "  to  the  maker  of  "  broiled  bean 
curd."  Fully  equal  in  interest  and  uniform  with 

IOUNG  AIIRICAHS  II  JAPAN; 

OR, 

The  Adventures  of  the  Jewett  Family  and  their  Friend 
Olo  Namho. 

BY  EDWARD  GREEY, 

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language  and  literature,  and  what  they  termed  'learned  their  hearts.'  "  He  is  thus 
qualified  to  be  a  trustworthy  guide  to  this,  the  youngest  and  oldest  of  nations. 
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VASCO     DA     GAMA: 

HIS    VOYAGES     AND     ADVENTURES. 
"Da  Gama's  history  is  full  of  striking  adventures,  thrilling  incidents,  and 
perilous  situations;  and  Mr.  Towle,  while  not  sacrificing  historical  accuracy, 
Las  so  skilfully  used  his  materials,  that  we  have  a  charmingly  romantic  tale." 
—  Rural  New-  Yorker. 

PIZ  ARRO: 

HIS  ADVENTURES  AND  CONQUESTS. 
"  No  hero  of  romance  possesses  greater  power  to  charm  the  youthful  reader 
than  the  conqueror  of  Peru.  Not  even  King  Arthur,  or  Thaddeus  of  War 
saw,  has  the  power  to  captivate  the  imagination  of  the  growing  boy.  Mr. 
Towle  has  handled  his  subject  in  a  glowing  but  truthful  manner;  and  we 
venture  the  assertion,  that,  were  our  children  led  to  read  such  books  as  this, 
the  taste  for  unwholesome,  exciting,  wrong-teaching  boys'  books  —  dime 
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mental  force  and  moral  purpose  in  the  rising  generation." — Chicago  Alliance. 

MAGELLAN; 
OR,  THE    FIRST    VOYAGE    ROUND    THE    WORLD. 

"  What  more  of  romantic  and  spirited  adventures  any  bright  boy  could 
want  than  is  to  be  found  in  this  series  of  historical  biography,  it  is  difficult 
to  imagine.  This  volume  is  written  in  a  most  sprightly  manner;  and  the 
life  of  its  hero,  Fernan  Magellan,  with  its  rapid  stride  from  the  softness  of 
a  petted  youth  to  the  sturdy  courage  and  persevering  fortitude  of  manhood, 
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clearly  told ;  and  nothing  better  can  be  put  into  the  hands  of  the  school  boy 
or  girl  than  this  series  of  the  records  of  noted  travellers.  The  heroism  dis 
played  by  these  men  was  certainly  as  great  as  that  ever  shown  by  conquering 
warrior ;  and  it  was  exercised  in  a  far  nobler  cause,  —  the  cause  of  knowledge 
and  discovery,  which  has  made  the  nineteenth  century  what  it  is."  —  Graphic. 

RALEGH: 

HIS     EXPLOITS     AND     VOYAGES. 

"  This  belongs  to  the  '  Young  Folks'  Heroes  of  History  '  series,  and  deala 
•with  a  greater  and  more  interesting  man  than  any  of  its  predecessors.  With 
all  the  black  spots  on  his  fame,  there  are  few  more  brilliant  and  striking 
figures  in  English  history  than  the  soldier,  sailor,  courtier,  author,  and  ex 
plorer,  Sir  Walter  Ralegh.  Even  at  this  distance  of  time,  more  than  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years  after  his  head  fell  on  the  scaffold,  we  cannot  read  his 
story  without  emotion.  It  is  graphically  written,  and  is  pleasant  reading, 
not  only  for  young  folks,  but  for  old  folks  with  young  hearts."  —  Woman's 
Journal. 

DRAKE: 

THE    SEA-LION     OF     DEVON. 

Drake  was  the  foremost  sea-captain  of  his  age,  the  first  English  admiral 
to  send  a  ship  completely  round  the  world,  the  hero  of  the  magnificent 
victory  which  the  English  won  over  the  Invincible  Armada.  His  career  was 
stirring,  bold,  and  adventurous,  from  early  youth  to  old  age. 

Sold  by  all  Booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price. 
LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers    ....    BOSTON. 


BOOKS    FOR    "OUR    CIRLS." 

THE    MAIDENHOOD    SERIES. 

By    Popular   Authors. 


SEVEN   DAUGHTERS. 

By  Miss  A.  M.  DOUGLAS,  Author  of  "In  Trust,"  "Stephen  Dane,"  "Claudia," 
"  Sydnie  Adriance,"  "  Home  Nook,"  "  Nelly  Kennard's  Kingdom." 

i2mo,  cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 

"A  charming  romance  of  Girlhood,"  full  of  incident  and  humor.  The  "Seven 
Daughters"  are  characters  which  reappear  in  some  of  Miss  Douglas'  later  books.  \n 
this  book  they  form  a  delightful  group,  hovering  on  the  verge  of  Womanhood,  with 
all  the  little  perplexities  of  home  life  and  love  dreams  as  incidentals,  making  a  fresh  and 
attractive  story. 

OUR    HELEN. 

By  SOPHIE  MAY.     i2mo,  cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 

"  The  story  is  a  very  attractive  one,  as  free  from  the  sensational  and  impossible  as 
could  be  desired,  and  at  the  same  time  full  of  interest,  and  pervaded  by  the  same  bright, 
cheery  sunshine  that  we  find  in  the  author's  earlier  books.  She  is  to  be  congratulated 
on  the  success  of  her  essay  in  a  new  field  of  literature,  to  which  she  will  be  warmly  wel 
comed  by  those  who  know  and  admire  her  '  Prudy  Books.' "  —  Graphic. 

THE   ASBURY   TWINS. 

By  SOPHIE  MAY,  Author  of  "The  Doctor's  Daughter,"  "Our  Helen,"  &c.     i2mo, 

cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 

"  Has  the  ring  of  genuine  genius,  and  the  sparkle  of  a  gem  of  the  first  water.  We 
read  it  one  cloudy  winter  day,  and  it  was  as  good  as  a  Turkish  bath,  or  a  three  hours' 
soak  in  the  sunshine." —  Cooperstoivn  Republican. 

THAT    QUEER   GIRL. 

By  Miss  VIRGINIA  F.  TOWNSEND,  Author  of  "  Only  Girls,"  &c.     lamo,  cloth,  illus 
trated.     $1.50. 

Queer  only  in  being  unconventional,  brave  and  frank,  an  "  old-fashioned  girl,"  and 
very  sweet  and  charming.  As  indicated  in  the  title,  is  a  little  put  of  the  common  track, 
and  the  wooing  and  the  winning  are  as  queer  as  the  heroine.  The  New  Haven 
Register  says:  "  Decidedly  the  best  work  which  has  appeared  from  the  pen  of  Miss 
Townsend." 

RUNNING   TO    "WASTE. 

The  Story  of  a   Tomboy.      By  GEORGE  M.  BAKER.      i6mo,  cloth,  illustrated. 

$1.50- 

"  This  book  is  one  of  the  most  entertaining  we  have  read  for  a  long  time.  It  is  well 
written,  full  of  humor,  and  good  humor,  and  it  has  not  a  dull  or  uninteresting  page. 
It  is  lively  and  natural,  and  overflowing  with  the  best  New  England  character  and 
traits.  There  is  also  a  touch  of  pathos,  which  always  accompanies  humor,  in  the  life 
and  death  of  the  tomboy's  mother." — Neivburyport  Herald. 

DAISY    TRAVERS; 

Or  the  Girls  of   Hive  Hall.     By  ADELAIDE  F.  SAMUELS,  Author  of  "  Dick  and 

Daisy  Stories,"  "  Dick  Travers  Abroad,"  &c.     i6mo,  cloth,  illustrated.     $1.50. 

The  story  of  Hive  Hall  is  full  of  life   and   action,  and   told   in    the   same    happy 

style  which  made  the  earlier  life  of  its  heroine  so  attractive,  and  caused  the  Dick  and 

Daisy  books  to  become  great  favorites  with  the  young.     What  was  said  of  the  younger 

books  can,  with  equal  truth,  be  said  of  Daisy  grown  up. 


The  above  six  books  are  furnished  in   a  handsome  box  for  $Q.OO,  or  sold 
separate,  by  all  booksellers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  Publishers Boston. 


BOOKS   OF  TRAVEL. 


OVER   THE    OCEAN; 

OR, 

SIGHTS    AND    SCENES    IN    FOREIGN    LANDS. 

By  CURTIS  GUILD,  editor  of  "  The  Boston  Commercial  Bulletin."    Crown  8va 

Cloth.     $2.50. 

"  This  is  certainly  a  collection  of  some  of  the  most  perfect  pen-pictures  of  sights 
and  scenes  in  foreign  lands  we  have  ever  seen."  —  Albion* 

ABROAD    AGAIN; 

OR, 

FRESH    FORAYS    IN    FOREIGN    FIELDS. 

Uniform  with  "  Over  the  Ocean."    By  the  same  author.    Crown  8vo.  Cloth.  $2.50. 

AN   AMERICAN    GIRL    ABROAD. 

By  Miss  ADELINE  TRAFTON,  author  of  "  His  Inheritance,"  "  Katherine  Earle," 

&c.     i6mo.     Illustrated.     $1.50. 

"'The  American  Girl'  is  a  bright,  good,  merry-hearted  girl,  off  for  a  good  time; 
and  her  readers  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  journey  was  a  decided  success." — 
Liberal  Christian. 

BEATEN   PATHS; 

OR, 

A     WOMAN'S      VACATION. 

By  ELLA  W.  THOMPSON.     i6mo.     Cloth.     $1.50. 

"  The  author  seems  to  have  hit  on  just  the  most  charming  things  to  set;,  and 
talks  of  them  in  a  charming  manner."  —  Tribune. 

A  THOUSAND  MILES'  WALK  ACROSS  SOUTH 
AMERICA, 

OVER  THE  PAMPAS  AND  THE  ANDES. 

By  NATHANIEL  H.  BISHOP.  12010.    Illustrated.    $1.50. 

VOYAGE  OF  THE  PAPER  CANOE. 

A  Geographical  Journey  of  Twenty-five  Hundred  Miles  from  Quebec  to  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico.  By  the  same  author.  With  numerous  illustrations  and  maps 
specially  prepared  for  this  work.  Crown  8vo.  $2.50. 

FOUR    MONTHS    IN   A    SNEAK-BOX. 

A  Boat- Voyage  of  Twenty-six  Hundred  Miles  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Rivers,  and  along  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  By  the  same  author.  With  nu 
merous  maps  and  illustrations.  $2.50. 

CAMPS    IN    THE    CARIBBEES. 

Being  the  Adventures  of  a  Naturalist  Bird-Hunting  in  the  West  India  Islands. 
By  FRED  A.  ODER.     Crown  8vo.     With  maps  and  illustrations.   $2.50. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers  and  newsdealers,  and  sent  by  mail,  postpaid,  on 
receipt  of  price. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers Boston. 


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